Blake Witters

Watching what’s unfolded at Kohl’s with Ashley Buchanan isn’t just about one leader or one company. It’s a wake-up call—and a reminder that integrity still matters. More and more people are starting to question what leadership really means. They’re challenging outdated ideas of power, control, and performance at all costs. And they’re asking the hard questions: Who are we trusting to lead us? Are they walking the talk? Are values just words on a wall—or are they being lived, even when no one’s watching? What’s happening at Kohl’s is part of a bigger shift. People are tired of spin. They want truth, accountability, and leadership that’s grounded in something real. As someone who believes deeply in leading with purpose and character, I hope this moment pushes us all to rethink how we show up—for our teams, our communities, and ourselves. Because the real measure of leadership isn’t how loud your title is—it’s how well your actions align with your values when it really counts. #IntegrityMatters #MoralCompass #HRLeadership #CorporateAccountability #LeadWithPurpose #CultureMatters #AuthenticLeadership

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A recent study highlighted that 76% of U.S. adults now shop online regularly, up from 65% in 2019. As a result, Kohl’s has been forced to reassess its business strategy, leading to mass layoffs and store closures. https://lnkd.in/eYQc7dwV

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I don’t listen to many podcasts but this one caught my attention, probably because of my past experience at Crate & Barrel and love for the brand. Great insights from CEO Janet Hayes on adapting to the changing retail landscape by investing in strong digital technology, focusing on a customer-centric experience, and emphasizing the importance of humble leadership.

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Walmart CEO, Doug McMillon, shares 3 valuable pieces of advice for career growth: 1. Proactively seize opportunities by volunteering when your boss is unavailable. 2. Appreciate and make the most of your current role to foster professional development. 3. Dive into the insightful article linked below to uncover the third essential tip! Read more about Doug McMillon's journey to becoming Walmart's CEO here: https://lnkd.in/gVdfPwCr #careeradvice #walmart

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🎯 Retail Leaders: The Time to Plan Holiday Staffing Is Now With seasonal hiring projected to hit its lowest levels since 2009, retailers face a critical inflection point. Stretching existing teams may seem efficient, but without proactive staffing strategies, the holiday rush could strain operations, impact customer experience, and hurt bottom lines. 🛍️ Consumers won’t wait—and neither should we. Whether it’s cross-training current staff, leveraging flexible scheduling, or tapping into gig talent pools, the key is intentional planning. Quiet hiring and automation can help, but they’re no substitute for a well-prepared frontline. Let’s shift from reactive scrambling to strategic foresight. The holidays are our Super Bowl—let’s staff like it.

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Did you know that 75% of Walmart customers are planning spring refreshes? Walmart Data Ventures has some really valuable insights into what customers are looking for this season. It shows how important it is to use actionale insight to inform strategies so you can meet customers where they are. #Walmart

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Kohl’s Corporation is an US retailer with a market cap of about $2 billion, annual revenue to approximately $18 billion, has 1165 stores across the country and employs some 110,000 people. Ashley Buchanan had an enviable career before being appointed as the CEO at Kohl’s in January 2025 and tasked to revitalize Kohl’s. However, Kohl's dismissed him in May 2025 for failing to disclose a personal relationship with vendor Chandra Holt and approving favourable multimillion-dollar deals. HR and board vetting missed the conflict, leading to Holt's BCG termination too. The case exemplifies a profound HR and governance failure rooted in undisclosed conflicts of interest. An external investigation revealed he directed multimillion-dollar vendor deals, including a $2.5 million consulting contract with a firm founded by Chandra Holt, his former romantic partner and Walmart colleague, on highly favourable terms without disclosure. RISK MITIGATION PRE-HIRING. Mandate comprehensive conflict-of-interest disclosures during executive recruitment, including romantic, financial, or professional ties to vendors or competitors for the past 5-10 years. Use third-party background checks with AI tools to cross-reference social media, LinkedIn connections, and public records. Using this methodology, Buchanan's liaisons with Holt at Walmart would have come to light. Implementing a "cooling-off" policy barring executives from vendor deals involving past associates would have disqualified him for the position of CEO. HR & BOARD OVERSIGHT. Board approval should be required for all vendor contracts above a limit, say $1 million, with HR auditing for personal connections using AI-based automatic red-flagging system. Anonymous whistleblower channels and annual ethics training, audited externally, to catch undisclosed relationships before escalation should be systemised.  In this case, Kohl's board ignored early red flags. An independent HR ethics committees could enforce separation from CEO influence. TECH INTEGRATION. Compliance software should be adopted for real time monitoring of executive-vendor interactions, alerting on anomalies. They specialize in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) solutions providing integrated security and compliance management solutions that handle a full range of risk assessments and response protocols, helping organizations manage compliance requirements and mitigate risks. We at #TUSOLUX can help Indian entities (under the Companies Act 2013) adopt such compliance, governance and risk mitigation solutions, prioritizing vendor neutrality and transparent mechanisms. Early intervention can preserve stability, avoiding losses worth millions in addition to severe reputational harm. #TusoluxConsulting #ArtilectEducationTechnologies #OceanspringsEducationalTechnologies #CorporateGovernance #HRLeadership #BoardEffectiveness #ExecutiveVetting  #LeadershipRisk #OrganizationalCulture

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KOHL'S RESULTS TOP PRIOR FORECASTS: 2025 OUTLOOK MAINTAINED Kohl's posted first-quarter results slightly ahead of its previous expectations, a bright spot for a company facing a difficult operating environment and recently ousted leadership. The department-store chain narrowed its loss to $15 million, or 13 cents a share, for the first quarter ended May 3, compared with the prior year’s loss of $27 million, or 24 cents a share. Analysts polled by FactSet expected a loss of 22 cents. https://on.wsj.com/4kghIw2 #retail #retailnews #RetailVoices #departmentstores #retailquarterly #TRE #tariffs

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If you’re exploring new career opportunities, there’s one simple step that can significantly improve your visibility and connection to employers—yet most job seekers skip it: 👉 Join the Talent Communities of companies you’re interested in. Here’s why it matters: 🔹 Stay on the company’s radar Even if your dream role isn’t open today, Talent Communities allow recruiters to proactively engage with you when a relevant opportunity does appear. 🔹 Get early access to new roles Many organizations share openings with their Talent Community members before they’re widely posted. That means less competition and a faster path to consideration. 🔹 Learn about the culture (before you interview) Companies often use Talent Communities to share insights, employee stories, upcoming events, and behind‑the‑scenes content. You’ll walk into the process informed and more confident. 🔹 Show genuine interest Recruiters notice when candidates take initiative. Joining a Talent Community signals curiosity, motivation, and intentionality—qualities every hiring team appreciates. 🔹 Build long-term relationships Your next opportunity might be months away. Being part of a Talent Community keeps you connected, not just to openings, but to people. ✨ Pro Tip: When you join, complete your profile and be specific about your skills and interests. It helps recruiters match you to the right roles more effectively.

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✨ Inclusion isn’t Charity — it’s Operational Excellence. I attended an incredible presentation last night for Dollar Tree and I am inspired by Randy Lewis and his work at Walgreens: Hiring People with Disabilities! (Thank you, Anne Thumann, PHR, SHRM-CP and Tom Gustafson for the invitation). By intentionally integrating people with disabilities into their Distribution Centers — same jobs, same standards, same pay — Walgreens saw: 📈 Equal or better productivity 🔁 50% lower turnover 🦺 Lower safety costs 💙 Stronger culture and engagement Thousands of people who had never held a job became leaders, safety coaches, HR managers, and top performers! The biggest takeaway for me: Proof that performance comes in many packages. So excited about what this could mean for Dollar Tree and beyond. Let’s lean into what’s possible at Dollar Tree — this is how we build stronger teams, better operations, and meaningful impact! #Leadership #OperationalExcellence #TalentAcquisition #DisabilityInclusion #SupplyChain #PurposeDrivenWork

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This is Big! Anthropologie’s Q3 results aren’t just a strong quarter. They’re a masterclass in what happens when a brand refuses to age, fade, or get lazy. 19 (yes you read that right almost 5 years) consecutive quarters of positive comps is the retail equivalent of running a marathon in heels and never losing pace. What stands out most is that this performance isn’t fueled by discount theatrics or chasing trends with whiplash speed. It’s the power of brand stewardship. Owning your aesthetic. Knowing your customer. And refreshing your assortment with intention instead of panic. Anthropologie's brands have always sold more than product. It sells a feeling. A mood board. A lifestyle. And that emotional currency is paying dividends. The cross channel strength is the loudest signal. Digital and stores moving in lockstep. Apparel, accessories, weddings, and now a home category picking up speed. That kind of balanced growth doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from a tight read on the customer and an even tighter grip on execution. Brand equity is strongest when it’s expressed with clarity. It’s a bet on focus. And early numbers say the bet is paying off. Same story with store expansion. While everyone else is debating the future of physical retail, Anthropologie is simply building it. What URBN is showing the industry is this. Growth doesn’t come from being everywhere....growth comes from being unforgettable where it matters. It comes from creative content that actually inspires. From experiences that feel inviting instead of overwhelming. From assortments that evolve without losing their soul. Anthropologie’s momentum says something bigger about the state of retail heading into 2026. Intelligence plus identity wins. Vision plus execution wins. Customer understanding plus creative bravery wins. This is what we deliver Zeta Global. From identity to intelligence to precise, scalable execution. And right now, Anthropologie is playing that game better than most.

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Kohl's: From Meme Noise to Merchandise Story Kohl’s is rebuilding relevance where customers notice first: better product and a sharper digital experience. The newest tell: expanding FLX into kids and pre-teens - a margin-friendly, identity-building move that adds a growth lane where parents actually spend. It’s priced to move and already in 300 stores and online, with broader rollout next year - evidence that Kohl’s is betting its turnaround on proprietary product, not just promotions. The other tell is talent. Kohl’s brought in Arianne Parisi as Chief Digital Officer, reporting to interim CEO Michael J. Bender. Parisi’s background at JD Sports, Finish Line, and Nordstrom is the profile you hire when you want speed, sharper trading, and a tighter app-to-store loop. Her remit, rebuild the digital experience across Kohls dot com and the app, sets up the next chapter of omnichannel, where discovery, drop cadence, and convenience win baskets long before a shopper hits the parking lot. Reality check: earnings optics improved, but sales are still sliding - helped in part by a one-time legal settlement. Translation: the merchandising and digital bets need to carry the load, not financial engineering. That’s why the FLX expansion and the Parisi hire matter - they’re the levers that change customer behavior, not just the quarterly math. This is a leadership story dressed as merchandising. Kohl’s is stacking capabilities where it counts: - Proprietary-brand merchants who can build identity and margins in active/athleisure for the family. - Digital operators who run ecommerce like a trading floor: pushing frequency, basket composition, and crosswalks into beauty and adjacent categories (Sephora’s momentum is the template to cross-pollinate, not the destination). Field and store leaders who can turn national plays into local theater - fit for an audience that wants convenience, value, and something worth the trip. If Kohl’s keeps pairing category design (FLX kids) with channel design (Parisi’s digital revamp), the comeback narrative becomes more than meme residue. It becomes muscle memory for the shopper. Kohl’s next chapter isn’t just product and pixels - it’s people. The hires that matter now are merchant-athletes, digital traders, and field leaders who move at pace and make decisions consistent with the company’s principles. Skill without fit frays fast. DeBerry Search Associates runs a values-first search process, mapping capability × character × culture, so the leaders you hire don’t just hit the plan, they reinforce it. We build the bench that makes it stick: leaders whose instincts align with your values, not just your KPIs. If you’re ready to turn meme noise into a merchandise story customers feel, we’ll architect the talent strategy, and the leadership slate, to get you there.

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🔍 🚨 BREAKING: Retailer Optimism: Kohl's Performance Boosts Shares Amidst Leadership Change Kohl's Corporation recently captured significant market attention with a series of noteworthy announcements. The retail company, which had been navigating a period of operational challenges, disclos...📖 read more at 👉 https://lnkd.in/g_ziJ6i3 📰 Published on November 27, 2025 by Aartie on Aakash News and Media Syndicate #News #BreakingNews #TechNews #AI #TrendingNow #LinkedInNews #AakashNewsAgency #ANMS

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Kohl's Corp is expected to appoint Michael Bender as its permanent chief executive as early as Monday, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday, citing a person familiar with the matter. The board interviewed several candidates before opting to appoint Bender, according to the report. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Kohl's did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Michael Bender could not be immediately reached for a comment on the role change. In May, the struggling department-store retailer fired former CEO Ashley Buchanan after an investigation uncovered his undisclosed personal relationship with a vendor whose deals he had aggressively pursued, barely 100 days into the role. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ditnUZHc

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Wonderful interview by McKinsey & Company to Bloomingdale's CEO: Can they bring the magic back to department stores? I think they can: we usually think that brick and mortar will become irrelevant. But this is wrong. Retail and all other brick and mortar businesses are alive, in the game, and those that thrive know the 'magic': - Leverage technology - Invest in store experience (whatever you do) for your customer: look and feel, connect with them, etc. - Connect with the brands you are offering - Don't be transactional, or just product seller. How can your customer spend more time with you? Interestingly enough, all these applies to any industry you currently are in this walk of life ... #RetailLeadership #Leadership #retail https://lnkd.in/gh6sXm6u

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Retail is evolving quickly, and so is the leadership profile driving it. In recognition of National Women’s History Month, my colleagues, Heidi Rustin and Jim Ipema, explore how female CEOs are fueling growth and relevance at brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Ulta Beauty, Victoria’s Secret, and more. A timely and thoughtful piece. https://lnkd.in/gBN-te2t

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I recently completed "How to #InfluenceWithoutAuthority" through Amazon's development program, part of an enlightening journey through #MasterClass sessions that transformed my understanding of leadership. My biggest takeaway was discovering how these seemingly separate influence techniques create something much more powerful when used together. Daniel Pink's "9 ways to frame a message" opened my eyes to different communication strategies: • Loss aversion frame: people respond more strongly to potential losses than gains • Experience frame: stories resonate deeper than facts • Blemish frame: acknowledging minor flaws builds credibility • Less is more frame: too many options overwhelm rather than empower • Contrast frame: the power of strategic comparison points • Opportunity frame: showing what people give up by not acting • Potential frame: future possibilities over past performance • Sunk cost frame: how past investments affect decisions • Anchoring bias: first impressions shape subsequent judgments Howard Schultz's emphasis on curiosity complements these framing techniques. Genuine curiosity: • Creates connections that strategic communication alone cannot achieve • Uncovers hidden motivations that inform message framing • Builds trust through interest in others' perspectives • Drives innovation by questioning assumptions Chris Voss explored how mirror neurons respond to different communication approaches: • "Late-night FM DJ voice" calms tense situations • "Playful tone" keeps conversations collaborative • Our brains mirror speakers' emotional states, making tone as important as content When we combine Pink's framing with Schultz's curiosity and Voss's techniques, we create influence without formal authority. We build connections based on understanding perspectives, communicate in ways that resonate with natural thinking, and deliver messages that create psychological safety. I'm happy to see these insights showing that influence isn't about position, it's about understanding psychology, building connections, and communicating effectively. The beauty of influence is that with curiosity about others and a growth mindset, our ability to make an impact can expand infinitely. 😊 Has your professional journey revealed unexpected connections between different approaches to influence?

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