Kohl’s Interim CEO Tom Kingsbury to Stay On, Replacing Michelle Gass
Kohl’s leadership shuffled late last year, with its previous CEO Michelle Gass moving to Levi’s to lead as its president. Tom Kingsbury took on the role in the interim, and Kohl’s has announced he will be staying on.
Kingsbury has been leading the company since December 2 and will also continue to serve on the company’s board. He has more than 40 years of retail experience across leadership and board roles, including at Kohl’s, Burlington Stores — where he led as president and CEO from 2008 to 2019 — and The May Department Stores Company.
Kingsbury said this is a pivotal time for the company, witnessing passion and dedication across the Kohl’s team over the last few months.
“I am excited and energized to work with our talented team to elevate our performance and create value,” said Kingsbury in a statement. “I look forward to partnering with the board and leadership team to build on our strengths and deliver on our strategy for our shareholders and other stakeholders.”
Board chair Peter Boneparth said Kingsbury was a good match for the company due to his “exceptional track record growing retail businesses and his deep knowledge of Kohl’s.”
“Since joining the board, Tom has added valuable insight and perspective, and as interim CEO, he has demonstrated strong leadership and made a meaningful and positive impact on the organization,” Boneparth added. "The board has the full confidence in Tom's ability to drive the business forward, focusing on accelerating sales and profitability, and we look forward to our continued work together."
The company has been focused on growth in recent months, naming a new chief marketing officer this past summer. Christie Raymond, a marketing industry veteran with more than 20 years in retail leadership, is leading the organization's overall marketing efforts, building on Kohl’s creative, loyalty, customer analytics, corporate communications, and philanthropic efforts.
These leadership shifts followed a bumpy year in 2022 for the company as it looked to sell — receiving bids from several outlets — before deciding to stay put in July citing it was financially secure enough to continue on its own.
