January 11: Opening Party
January 12–14: Conference & Expo
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center | NYC
President
Levi Strauss & Co.
Michelle Gass is President, Levi Strauss & Co., responsible for leading the Levi’s®, Signature by Levi Strauss™ and Denizen® brands, along with global digital and commercial operations. Michelle is a member of LS&Co.’s executive leadership team and board of directors, and she will work closely with both in anticipation of her becoming the company’s next CEO. Prior to joining LS&Co., Michelle served as CEO of Kohl’s, where she led the transformation of the company’s effort to become a leading omnichannel retailer while acquiring and elevating notable national brand partnerships, including the long-term partnership with Sephora. During her time she drove significant capabilities in digital, growing the ecommerce business at a double-digit rate to $6 billion, and evolving Kohl’s loyalty program into an industry-leading platform. Michelle joined Kohl’s in 2013 as chief customer officer and was named chief merchandising and customer officer in 2015. She was promoted to CEO-elect in October 2017 prior to assuming the CEO role in May 2018. Michelle has more than 30 years of experience in the retail and consumer goods industries. Prior to Kohl’s, she spent more than 16 years with Starbucks — holding a variety of leadership roles across marketing, strategy, merchandising and operations, including president, Starbucks EMEA. She began her career with Procter & Gamble. Michelle has received numerous professional honors, including being named to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business and Businessperson of the Year lists, as well as being named The Visionary 2020 by the National Retail Federation. Michelle currently serves on the Board of Directors for PepsiCo, and on the Boards of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and the National Retail Federation. She received her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the University of Washington.
9:00am - 9:30am
Javits North, Level 5, SAP Theatre