Kohls confirms Michael J Bender as Chief Executive Officer

Kohls Corporation has confirmed that Michael J Bender has been appointed Chief Executive Officer after a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors. The appointment took effect on twenty three November twenty twenty five. Bender has served as interim CEO since one May twenty twenty five and will continue as a member of the Board.

Bender brings more than three decades of experience across retail and consumer goods. Before joining Kohls he led Eyemart Express as President and CEO between twenty eighteen and twenty two after an earlier term as President. At Walmart he held senior roles as Chief Operating Officer of global ecommerce and as Executive Vice President and President of the Walmart West division. Earlier in his career he worked at Cardinal Health and Victoria’s Secret under L Brands after beginning his professional journey at PepsiCo where he spent over ten years across sales, finance and operations.

In addition to his new mandate at Kohls Bender serves on the board of Acuity Brands and has previously been a Director at Ryman Hospitality Properties. He joined the Kohls board in twenty nineteen and served as Board Chair from May twenty twenty four until he stepped in as interim CEO in May twenty twenty five.

Board Chair John Schlifske said Bender performance over the last several months made the choice straightforward. He credited Bender with progressively improving results, shaping short and long term strategy and driving cultural change. Schlifske noted that a comprehensive search with an external firm confirmed the board confidence, culminating in Bender unanimous appointment as CEO.

Bender said that moving into the permanent role deepens his commitment to the business and its people. He called Kohls a brand with a storied place in retail, serving families with products, value and a differentiated shopping experience. He added that the leadership team is focused on reestablishing the company position by putting customers first and accelerating transformation in partnership with vendors and associates across the United States.

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