Kohl’s President Sona Chawla, who serves as second-in-command to CEO Michelle Gass, will step down from her role in mid-October.Chawla, who joined Kohl’s in November 2015 as COO, became President when Gass took the reins in May 2018 upon then-CEO Kevin Mansell’s retirement. The department store has not yet named a replacement.
Chawla actually had been a candidate for the CEO role prior to Mansell’s retirement, but the Kohl’s board ultimately selected Gass for the role. She is leaving to “pursue new opportunities,” according to a company statement.
Prior to joining Kohl’s, Chawla was President of Digital and CMO at Walgreens. She also held executive positions with Dell and Wells Fargo’s Internet Services Group.
Additionally, Paul Gaffney has been named Senior EVP and CTO, reporting directly to Gass. Gaffney will assume his new position in mid-September, and he will be responsible for all technology, information and digital platforms supporting Kohl’s omnichannel business.
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Gaffney most recently served as CTO of DICK’S Sporting Goods. Prior to that, Gaffney was Senior VP of IT at The Home Depot, responsible for the organization’s software engineering, user-centered design and applications.
