Michelle Gass


Michelle D. Gass is an American businesswoman who currently serves as the CEO and Director of Kohl's Corporation, a position she has held since May 2018.

Education and career

Gass has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the University of Washington.
Gass is a Starbucks veteran who led the chain in 1996. She "helped make 'frappuccino' a household word" which became Starbucks' $2 billion brand in 2011.
Before joining Kohl's, Gass worked at Procter & Gamble and at Starbucks. She started with Kohls in 2013 as their first chief customer officer. She led the creation of Kohl's Greatness Agenda in 2014, was named chief merchandising officer in 2015, and was promoted to be the CEO-elect in 2017. With a compensation of $12.34 million, she was ranked as 71st on the "100 Most Overpaid CEOs 2020", a report by As You Sow. Gass has been a member of the board of directors of PepsiCo since March 2019.
In 2005, Gass was awarded the Ichabod Washburn Young Alumni for Professional Achievement award by Worcester Polytechnic Institute and in 2007, she was named a Woman to Watch by Advantage Age. In 2018, Homeworld Business named Gass one of its "Players" and a person to watch in housewares in the coming year.

Personal life

Gass was raised in Maine. She married Scott Gass on August 20, 1994. They have two children named Megan and Will.