Kohl's appoints new Chief Marketing Officer
Kohl's has appointed Christie Raymond as its new Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately, the retailer announced on Monday. According to a company press release, Raymond will report directly to CEO Michelle Gass.
Raymond, who has served as the interim chief marketing officer since May, first joined Kohl's in 2017 as senior vice president of media and personalization. She was later promoted to executive vice president of customer engagement, analytics, and insights in June 2020.
Raymond replaces Greg Revelle, who exited the company in June. Revelle's departure was announced in May, coinciding with the exit of Chief Merchandising Officer Doug Howe.
In her new role, Raymond will oversee the company's marketing strategy, branding, creative, media, loyalty programs, customer analytics, corporate communications, and philanthropic efforts. She is expected to drive customer engagement, loyalty, and traffic, as well as build the brand.
Gass commented on Raymond's appointment, stating, "I'm thrilled to have Christie step into the role of Chief Marketing Officer for Kohl's. She has been an asset to our senior executive team and will be instrumental in our continued path forward as we deliver great value, a compelling brand portfolio, and an inviting omnichannel experience to our millions of customers nationwide."
As part of Kohl's growth strategy, the company plans to expand its Media Network, an in-house retail media agency. The network's expansion, announced in late July, aims to provide more advertising opportunities and media services to vendors and partners to generate new revenue streams. The network leverages Kohl's consumer data and insights to connect partners with targeted audiences.
Kohl's has faced a tumultuous year, with activist investors calling for board and operational changes, a rejected takeover bid from Franchise Group, and a negative outlook from S&P Global Ratings, indicating the possibility of a future credit downgrade. Despite these challenges, Kohl's continues to focus on its digital transformation and omnichannel integration, as well as customer personalization, brand partnerships, and sustainability initiatives.
In her new role as Chief Marketing Officer, Christie Raymond will be responsible for overseeing the development of Kohl's marketing strategy, branding, and creative elements, alongside managing customer analytics, corporate communications, loyalty programs, and philanthropic efforts. To generate additional revenue streams, Kohl's plans to expand its Media Network, an in-house retail media agency that utilizes consumer data and insights to offer targeted advertising opportunities to vendors and partners.
