Kroger executive Yael Cosset joins Kohl’s board

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Feb 5, 2020

Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based retailer Kohl’s has added Yael Cosset to its board of directors, effective February 2, 2020. 

Cosset has been appointed to a term expiring at Kohl’s 2020 annual shareholders meeting and will be standing for election by Kohl’s shareholders at that time, the company said. He will initially serve on the board's governance and nominating committee.

The company's board now has a total of twelve members.

Cosset currently serves as senior vice president, chief information officer of grocery store company Kroger, having previously served as the company's chief digital officer and as chief commercial officer. He has also served as CIO at management consulting company 84.51˚, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kroger from April 2015 to January 2017.

Prior to joining Kroger, Cosset has held roles as global CIO at marketing and advertising company Dunnhumby and as CEO of KSS Retail, a Dunnhumby company. 

“[Cosset] is a seasoned executive leader who brings technology and digital expertise with notable retail and consumer brands,” said Frank Sica, Kohl’s chairman. “This digital experience and his deep understanding of customer analytics, innovation and transformation in the retail sector will be valuable assets to Kohl’s, and we look forward to his contributions to the board."

The digital know-how that Cosset brings to the board comes as Kohl's -- alongside fellow traditional retailers like J.C. Penney -- struggles to keep up with online retailers and brands offering added convenience in shopping and creating deeper connections with their customers. 

Kohl's reported weak holiday season sales in January, and said it now expects full-year earnings to come in at the bottom-end of an already lowered forecast, blaming weak demand for women’s apparel during the crucial shopping season. Shares in the company fell 9% as it posted a 0.2% drop in comparable sales in November and December.