Kohl’s Corporation announced that its board of directors unanimously appointed its CEO.
Michael J. Bender, CEO, Kohl’s | Image credit: Kohl’s Corp.
The department store chain announced the decision Nov. 24, effective the day before. It installs Michael J. Bender as Kohl’s new permanent CEO after he had served as interim CEO since May 1. Kohl’s said Bender will continue to serve on the company’s board.
Bender said in a statement announcing his appointment that working as interim CEO has deepened his love for the company and his “conviction in what’s possible for our future.” Kohl’s total revenue has been trending downward in the past couple of years. The retailer has tasked Bender with progressively improving sales.
He said on the retailer’s fiscal Q2 2025 earnings call that Kohl’s had focused too heavily on altering its new merchandising assortment in recent years, an effort to attract new customers. Among its initiatives to rebound sales, he said Kohl’s has worked to offer “a curated and more balanced assortment that fulfills the needs across all of our customers.”
Kohl’s is No. 25 in the Top 2000. The database ranks North America’s largest online retailers by their annual ecommerce sales and more. Digital Commerce 360 projects Kohl’s ecommerce sales to decline 17.7% year over year in 2025.
Kohl’s ecommerce sales
In July, Google announced a rollout of artificial intelligence (AI) updates to its virtual try-on tool. Along with Macy’s, Nordstrom and Walmart, Kohl’s is using AI-powered features as a way to increase its ecommerce sales.
Kohl’s names permanent CEO
John Schlifske, Kohl’s board chair, said that the company had engaged an external firm to do a comprehensive search for its next CEO. It was after that search that Kohl’s appointed Bender as its new CEO.
“Over the past several months as interim CEO, Michael has proven to be an exceptional leader for Kohl’s — progressively improving results, driving short and long-term strategy, and positively impacting cultural change,” said Schlifske in a released statement. “With three decades of leadership experience across retail and consumer goods companies and a deep commitment to the Kohl’s brand, we are confident Michael will continue to lead the company forward in a way that will benefit our associates, customers, and shareholders.”
Before beginning at Kohl’s, Bender was president and CEO of Eyemart Express between 2017 and 2022. Prior to that, he was chief operating officer of global ecommerce at Walmart. He also held senior positions at Cardinal Health and Victoria’s Secret.
Bender will remain on the Kohl’s board, where he has been a director since 2019. In that time, he was also board chair from May 2024 until he was appointed Kohl’s interim CEO a year later.
“Kohl’s has a storied and important role in the retail industry, serving and celebrating families with great products, compelling value, and a differentiated shopping experience,” Bender said in the statement. “I’m looking forward to reestablishing our leadership position by putting our customers first every day. While we’re pleased by our recent progress, we’re deeply motivated to accelerate our transformation – together with our partners, vendors, and incredible Kohl’s associates all across the country.”
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