Kohl's names new board chair, adds former Panera CEO as director

Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) announced that John Schlifske is retiring from its board of directors after nearly 15 years of service, including his role as board chair, citing personal reasons.

The board has unanimously elected Wendy Arlin as the new chair, effective immediately. Arlin has served as a Kohl's director since December 2023 and has chaired the Finance Committee since May 2025. She previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Bath & Body Works (NYSE: BBWI) from 2021 until her retirement in 2023, and held senior finance roles at L Brands for nearly 20 years before that.

Kohl's also appointed Niren Chaudhary to its board as an independent director. Chaudhary previously served as CEO and chair of Panera Brands, which operated Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee, and Einstein Bros. Bagels across nearly 4,000 locations. He also served as CEO of Panera Bread from 2019 to 2021 and held senior roles at Krispy Kreme and Yum! Brands, including Global President of KFC. His board term is set to expire at Kohl's 2027 annual shareholders' meeting, at which point he is expected to stand for election. He will serve on the board's Audit Committee.

Chaudhary also serves as a board director for SIG Group AG and holds academic roles at Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School.

Kohl's CEO Michael J. Bender credited Schlifske with providing stability through periods including the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining focus on financial discipline and shareholder value.

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