# Michael Bender

> Michael J. Bender is chief executive officer of Kohl’s, appointed permanently effective November 23, 2025 after serving as interim CEO from May. A Stanford graduate and former Walmart Global eCommerce COO, he previously led Eyemart Express and has held senior consumer-business roles at PepsiCo and Victoria’s Secret. His public leadership interests include mentoring, customer experience and connecting store operations with digital commerce.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Kohl’s
- **Organizations:** Kohl’s, Walmart, Eyemart Express, PepsiCo, Victoria’s Secret, Acuity, Ryman Hospitality Properties, Stanford Associates
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in economics, Stanford University, Master’s degree in management, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management
- **Known for:** Led Walmart West, a business spanning 22 states., Served as COO of Walmart Global eCommerce from 2014 to 2017., Led Eyemart Express as president and CEO from January 2018 to April 2022.

## Career timeline

- **1984–1999** — Sales, finance and operational roles at PepsiCo.
- **1999–2002** — Vice President of Store Operations at Victoria’s Secret.
- **2004–2019** — Director of the company now known as Ryman Hospitality Properties.
- **2009–2010** — Vice President and General Manager of Walmart’s Southwest region.
- **2010–2011** — Senior Vice President of Walmart’s Mountain division.
- **2011–2014** — Executive Vice President and President of Walmart West.
- **2014–2017** — Chief Operating Officer of Walmart Global eCommerce.
- **2017-09** — Became President of Eyemart Express.
- **2018-01–2022-04** — President and CEO of Eyemart Express.
- **2019-07** — Joined Kohl’s Board of Directors.
- **2022-09** — Joined Acuity’s Board of Directors.
- **2024-05–2025-05** — Chair of Kohl’s Board of Directors.
- **2025-05** — Became Interim Chief Executive Officer of Kohl’s.
- **2025-11** — Appointed permanent Kohl’s CEO effective November 23.

## Achievements

- Led Walmart West, a business spanning 22 states.
- Served as COO of Walmart Global eCommerce from 2014 to 2017.
- Led Eyemart Express as president and CEO from January 2018 to April 2022.
- Unanimously appointed permanent Kohl’s CEO in November 2025.
- Co-chaired Stanford’s class of 1984 reunion giving campaign.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Kohl’s reported second-quarter comparable sales down 0.9%, raised its full-year outlook and announced the restart of share repurchases.
- **2026-05** — Kohl’s reported first-quarter comparable sales down 1.1% and a $14 million net loss.
- **2025-11** — Named permanent Kohl’s CEO effective November 23, after serving as interim CEO since May 1.

## Links

- Website: https://corporate.kohls.com/bio-michaeljbender-1
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-j-bender

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/michael-bender
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21