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Michelle Gass

Operator

Michelle Gass is one of retail's most prominent chief executives, currently serving as CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., the iconic denim and apparel brand. She took the helm at Levi's in early 2023, succeeding Chip Bergh, and has focused on accelerating the company's direct-to-consumer strategy, expanding its women's business, and driving global brand relevance through marketing and product innovation. Before joining Levi's, Gass served as CEO of Kohl's from 2018 to 2022, where she spearheaded a high-profile partnership with Amazon to accept returns in Kohl's stores and pursued a strategic transformation of the department store chain. Prior to Kohl's, she spent nearly two decades at Starbucks, rising to Chief Customer Officer and playing a central role in building the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program and the brand's global marketing identity. Gass is widely regarded as a consumer-brand operator with deep expertise in loyalty, marketing strategy, and retail transformation. Her career spans brand building, customer experience, and large-scale organizational leadership across some of America's most recognized consumer companies.

Last updated Nov 5, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment

Role
CEO
Company
Levi's
Based
San Francisco, California, United States
Boards
1
Connections
2

AI-drafted from public sources2 sources cited

Years in industry
30 years

Bio

Michelle Gass is one of retail's most prominent chief executives, currently serving as CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., the iconic denim and apparel brand. She took the helm at Levi's in early 2023, succeeding Chip Bergh, and has focused on accelerating the company's direct-to-consumer strategy, expanding its women's business, and driving global brand relevance through marketing and product innovation. Before joining Levi's, Gass served as CEO of Kohl's from 2018 to 2022, where she spearheaded a high-profile partnership with Amazon to accept returns in Kohl's stores and pursued a strategic transformation of the department store chain. Prior to Kohl's, she spent nearly two decades at Starbucks, rising to Chief Customer Officer and playing a central role in building the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program and the brand's global marketing identity. Gass is widely regarded as a consumer-brand operator with deep expertise in loyalty, marketing strategy, and retail transformation. Her career spans brand building, customer experience, and large-scale organizational leadership across some of America's most recognized consumer companies.

Career

Roles with a cited source. All linked roles are in the Roles tab.

Expertise & education

Expertise

Brand TransformationRetail StrategyDirect-to-ConsumerCustomer Loyalty ProgramsConsumer MarketingOmnichannel RetailGlobal Brand Management

Education

  • MBA, Harvard Business School
  • BS, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Speaking topics

Retail TransformationBrand BuildingCustomer Loyalty and EngagementDirect-to-Consumer StrategyWomen in Leadership

Recognition

Notable achievements

  • Led the launch and scaling of the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program, which became a cornerstone of the brand's customer engagement strategy
  • Orchestrated the Kohl's-Amazon returns partnership, a landmark retail collaboration that drove significant store traffic
  • Appointed CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. in 2023, leading the brand's direct-to-consumer and women's category expansion
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