James (Jim) DePaul is executive vice president of stores for Catalyst Brands, reporting to Kevin Harper, chief operating officer. DePaul leads all aspects of stores, store operations, construction, facilities, customer care and asset protection. He is responsible for improving the shopping experience resulting in an engaging customer experience, drive topline sales and increase customer retention.

DePaul most recently served as EVP of stores for JCPenney. Prior to joining the Company, DePaul spent more than 20 years at Shopko Stores. He most recently served as chief operations officer, where he oversaw all stores, pharmacy, optical, supply chain, e–commerce operations, non–merchandise procurement, store operations, store development, loss prevention, and merchandise support. While at Shopko, DePaul made key improvements to customer service scores, operating expenses, shrink, and overall productivity. He also served as Shopko's chief administrative officer and senior vice president of store operations.

DePaul began his career in 1995 and spent three years at Target Corporation, working in merchandising and operations positions before joining Shopko in 1998 as a store manager.

DePaul holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration–accounting from the University of Missouri — St. Louis and an MBA in finance from Lakeland College in Wisconsin.