Former Walgreen CEO not joining J.C. Penney board

CHICAGO (Reuters) - J.C. Penney Co Inc (JCP.N) said on Friday that Jeffrey Rein will not join its board of directors next month because he has left his post as chief executive of Walgreen Co (WAG.N).

On October 6, J.C. Penney said that Rein was set to join its board on December 9. Then, on October 10, Rein left his position at Walgreen after 26 years at the drugstore chain.

J.C. Penney, the department store chain, said Rein told the company on November 17 that while he remains interested in corporate board service, he was withdrawing his acceptance of a position on the board "in light of the recent change in his employment status."

J.C. Penney's board had 12 members when the retailer announced that Rein was going to join. A J.C. Penney representative could not immediately be reached to comment on whether the company would add someone else to the board.

(Reporting by Jessica Wohl, editing by Leslie Gevirtz)