Kohl’s appoints Walmart alum Michael Bender to board

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jul 16, 2019

Kohl’s Corporation has increased the size of its board of directors to eleven members and elected Michael Bender to fill the new board seat, effective immediately. 

Bender has been elected to a term expiring at Kohl’s 2020 annual shareholders meeting and will be eligible for re-election by Kohl’s shareholders at that time. He will initially serve on the board of directors’ audit and governance and nominating committees.

The new board member currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Eyemart Express, an eyecare retailer. 

“[Bender] is a seasoned executive leader who brings deep expertise with notable retail and consumer brands, as well as global e-commerce,” said Frank Sica, Kohl’s chairman. “[His] breadth of experience and his deep understanding of operations will be valuable assets to Kohl’s, and we look forward to his contributions to the board."

Prior to his role at Eyemart Express, Bender held a number of management positions at Walmart Inc. over eight years, having most recently served as chief operating officer of global e-commerce.

Prior to Walmart, Bender held senior positions at Cardinal Health, a global healthcare services and products company, including president and general manager of retail and alternate care.

He has also served as vice president of store operations for L Brands' Victoria's Secret and has 15 years of experience with PepsiCo, where he held a variety of sales, finance and operating roles.