Kohl’s Taps Dave Alves as President and Chief Operating Officer
Kohl’s has named Dave Alves as president and chief operating officer, effective in April. He will report to CEO Tom Kingsbury, who was tapped for the top role earlier this month after serving in an interim capacity.
Kingsbury praised Alves’ “deep retail background” in department stores and the off-price channel as a strong addition to the Kohl’s team.
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“We are thrilled to have Dave join our senior leadership team as we drive the business forward,” said Kingsbury. “Kohl’s is a tremendous company with a strong and loyal customer base, and Dave is joining us at a time when we are elevating our business and our offerings for the next generation of shoppers.”
Alves, a more than 30-year retail veteran, most recently served as the president and chief retail officer for Bealls Retail Group. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at TJX Canada and TJX Europe, Hudson’s Bay and Sterling Shoes
The appointment comes amid a series of new leadership additions to the company. Kingsbury was appointed CEO in early February following the departure of former chief Michelle Gass, who left in early December to join Levi Strauss & Co. as president and CEO-in-waiting. Shortly after, Kohl’s tapped Nick Jones to serve as the company’s chief merchandising and digital officer, effective in March.
“I’ve long admired the Kohl’s brand and business model throughout my career and I am excited to join the team,” Alves said in a statement. “Retail is a dynamic and fast-paced industry that must constantly evolve with consumer preferences and behaviors, and I think Kohl’s does a great job staying true to its heritage while pushing the retail experience forward. I look forward to being part of the company’s bright future.”
As part of the CEO announcement earlier this month, Kohl’s said it had entered into a “cooperation agreement” with activist investor Macellum, which owns nearly 5% of shares at Kohl’s and has previously asked the company to consider taking an offer to sell its business and to put a Macellum representative on the board.
Late last month, Kohl’s cut less than 60 positions across the company as it grapples with softer demand due to inflation. In November, Kohl’s pulled its guidance for the full year and did not share projections for Q4, citing “macroeconomic headwinds” and its recent CEO transition.
Kohl’s also downgraded its outlook in August citing inflation and weaker consumer spending, especially among middle-income customers.
Kohl’s reports earnings for the fourth quarter on Wednesday morning.
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