Ashley Buchanan

In May 2025 Kohl's Corp. fired CEO Ashley Buchanan after four months for violating company policies involving undisclosed conflicts of interest. The company Buchanan's termination was unrelated to company performance and no other personnel were involved. Buchanan was fired after he violated company policies by directing Kohl's "to engage in vendor transactions that involved undisclosed conflicts of interest." Kohl's discovered he had instructed the retailer to enter into a “highly unusual” business deal involving a woman, Chandra Holt. with whom he has had a romantic relationship. Buchanan took over as CEO on Jan. 15 2025. Before being named Kohl's CEO, Buchanan spent four years as the leader of crafts retailer Michael’s Co. − where he struck a deal to sell the company to private equity investors. Prior to Michaels, Buchanan held executive roles at Walmart for 13 years, including Chief Merchandising and Chief Operating Officer for Walmart US e-commerce. He also served as Chief Merchant at Sam’s Club, overseeing merchandising strategy, private brands, pricing, and supply chain. .