Kohl’s Executive Team Shake Up: President Steps Down, New Senior VP And CTO Named

Kohl’s (KSS) has made some changes to its executive team, with its president stepping down and a new appointment to its senior executive vice president, chief technology officer role.

Sona Chawla announced that she will be leaving her position as president at the retailer in mid-October to pursue new opportunities. No replacement was named by the company.

Kohl’s CEO Michelle Gass, thanked Sona for her “partnership and leadership” with the company, saying, “Amongst many contributions, Sona has been instrumental in our progress as a leading omnichannel retailer, driving innovation and growth across our digital business and stores, as well as providing leadership to our logistics strategy and long-term technology roadmap.”

Kohl’s has also appointed Paul Gaffney to the position of senior executive vice president, chief technology officer. Gaffney will report directly to Gass, starting in the new role in mid-September.

Gass said Gaffney “joins our strong technology team, ready to continue our path forward in driving innovation and change across all aspects of our business.”

In his new position, Gaffney will be responsible for all technology, information and digital platforms at the retailer. He comes to Kohl’s from Dick’s Sporting Goods, where he served as chief technology officer.

Previously, Gaffney was senior vice president of information technology at The Home Depot. He has also served in a series of other senior leadership positions. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Harvard.

Shares of Kohl's stock were up 1.14 percent as of 2:02 p.m. ET on Friday.