These were the most notable retail C-suite moves in November

Since we finally finished that Ziploc of leftover Thanksgiving Pillsbury crescent rolls, we’re shifting our focus to a different kind of role, particularly in retailers’ C-suites. In November, lots of retailers said hello to new CEOs, while others saw some major departures, so we rounded up the most noteworthy people moves of the month.

• After Kohl’s faced pressure to change up its leadership, its CEO, Michelle Gass, is leaving the retailer to join Levi Strauss & Co. as president, and eventually CEO over the next 18 months. Tom Kingsbury, a Kohl’s director and former Burlington Stores CEO, will serve as interim CEO.
• Adidas tapped Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden as its next chief executive, effective January 1.
• Puma promoted chief commercial officer Arne Freundt as its new CEO and board chairman.
• Sephora named LVMH Fashion Group deputy chief Guillaume Motte as its new CEO, replacing Chris de Lapuente, who has served as CEO since Martin Brok left in June.
• Bath & Body Works’s new CEO is Gina Boswell, joining the retailer after serving as head of Unilever UK and Ireland.
• As Party City looks to optimize its supply chain amid many new cost-saving efforts, it named Peter Smith as its new COO. He joins from children’s apparel company Carter’s, where he served as EVP of global supply chain.
• Dollar Tree added a slew of new C-suite roles, including Yeti VP of ESG Jennifer Silberman as chief sustainability officer and Terence Goods, former VP of diversity and inclusion at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, as chief diversity officer.

Resign of the times: The most buzzworthy departure this month was Alesandro Michele, Gucci’s creative director since 2015 and a member of its team for two decades, who stepped down from the fashion brand. Others include:

• After six months in the role, Nike’s chief diversity, enquiry, and inclusion officer departed, marking the third departure from the role over the past two years.
• Bed Bath & Beyond continues to see C-suite shifts, as its chief customer and technology officer Rafeh Masood resigned from the company.
• Kevin Holt, CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA—parent of grocers like Giant, Stop & Shop, and FreshDirect—will depart the company on April 12, 2023. The company said it will nominate chief commercial and digital officer JJ Fleeman as his successor.

Hold please: Impossible Foods founder Pat Brown has taken a leave of absence from the alt-meat company, with plans to return in March 2023.