Michael J. Bender
CEO of Kohl’s | Board Director | Advisor | Former CEO and COO | Private Equity and Public Company Leadership
Spotless Brands•Greater Chicago Area
View LinkedIn ProfileExecutive Overview
Responsible for driving Kohl’s company’s growth, profitability, and strategic direction. He oversees the company’s 1,100+ store base, e-commerce business, and 100,000 associates across the country. Bender has more than 30 years of senior leadership experience across major retail and consumer brands - including Walmart, Victoria’s Secret, and Eyemart Express. He led Eyemart Express as President and CEO from 2018 to 2022, following his earlier tenure as President. Prior to that, Bender spent nearly a decade at Walmart in various executive management positions, including Chief Operating Officer of Global eCommerce and Executive Vice President & President of the Walmart West business unit. Earlier in his career, Bender held senior leadership positions at Cardinal Health and Victoria’s Secret and began his career at PepsiCo, where he spent more than a decade in sales, finance, and operational roles.
Career Timeline
- WunderkindCurrentOct 2023–Present· 2 yrs 11 mos
- Executive in ResidenceCurrentOct 2023–Present
- Simon-KucherCurrentAug 2023–Present· 3 yrs 1 mo
- Senior AdvisorCurrentAug 2023–Present
- Jul 2023–Present· 3 yrs 2 mos
- Partner, ChannelCurrentJul 2023–Present
- Spotless BrandsCurrentApr 2023–Present· 3 yrs 5 mos
- Member, BoardCurrentApr 2023–Present
- FlexeCurrent2023–Present· 3 yrs 8 mos
- Member, BoardCurrent2023–Present
- Included HealthCurrentNov 2022–Present· 3 yrs 10 mos
- Member, BoardCurrentNov 2022–Present
- Wawa, Inc.CurrentNov 2022–Present· 3 yrs 10 mos
- Member, BoardCurrentNov 2022–Present
- AcuityCurrentSep 2022–Present· 4 yrs
- Member, BoardCurrentSep 2022–Present
- Kohl'sCurrentJul 2019–Present· 7 yrs 2 mos
- Chief Executive OfficerCurrentNov 2025–Present
- Board MemberJul 2019–Present
- Interim Chief Executive OfficerMay 2025–Nov 2025
- Sep 2017–Apr 2022· 4 yrs 7 mos
- President and Chief Executive OfficerSep 2017–Apr 2022
Education
MBA
Marketing, Finance and Management Policy
Northwestern University - Kellogg School of ManagementBA
Economics
Stanford University