Mr. Bender is interim CEO of Kohl's and has served as Director since July 2019. Mr. Bender has more than three decades of senior leadership experience at prominent retailers, including Walmart, Victoria’s Secret, and Eyemart Express.
Mr. Bender served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Eyemart Express, LLC, an optical retailer, from January 2018 to April 2022, having previously acted as President from September 2017 to January 2018. Prior to joining Eyemart Express, Mr. Bender held various executive management positions at Walmart Inc., a multinational retailer, including Chief Operating Officer of Global eCommerce from 2014 to 2017, Executive Vice President and President of the Walmart West business unit from 2011 to 2014, Senior Vice President of the Walmart Mountain division from 2010 to 2011, and Vice President and General Manager of the Walmart Southwest region from 2009 to 2010. Prior to joining Walmart, Mr. Bender held a number of senior positions at Cardinal Health, Inc., a global integrated healthcare services and products company, from 2003 to 2007, including President and General Manager – Retail and Alternate Care. From 1999 to 2002, he was Vice President of Store Operations – Victoria’s Secret for L Brands, Inc., an international specialty retailer, and from 1984 to 1999, he served in a variety of sales, finance, and operational roles at PepsiCo, Inc., a global food and beverage company. Mr. Bender also serves as a Director of Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI) and previously served as a Director of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE:RHP) from 2004 to 2019.