Fiscal year 2025 executive and director compensation, incentive-plan design, equity activity, and governance — every figure in this brief is traceable to its exact location in the company’s SEC filing — the document, the section, the page, and the table, linked directly.
Each company listed discloses KSS in its own benchmarking peer group, as disclosed in each company's most recent proxy statement within the last two proxy seasons. Two companies are therefore absent by design: one that named KSS in an earlier year and no longer does, and one whose own most recent disclosure is older than the last two seasons.
| Named executive officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension / NQDC | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Buchanan | $368,750 | $0 | $9,000,005 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $213,981 | $9,582,736 |
| Former Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| Michael J. Bender | 1,111,837 | 0 | 3,775,003 | 0 | 3,641,818 | 0 | 515,808 | 9,044,466 |
| Interim Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| Nick Jones | 900,000 | 0 | 2,299,993 | 0 | 2,336,040 | 0 | 121,075 | 5,657,108 |
| Chief Merchandising Officer | ||||||||
| Jill Timm | 950,000 | 0 | 2,299,993 | 0 | 2,289,690 | 0 | 105,910 | 5,645,593 |
| Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||
| Fred Hand | 900,000 | 0 | 2,000,003 | 0 | 2,169,180 | 0 | 83,312 | 5,152,495 |
| Senior Executive Vice President, Director of Stores | ||||||||
| Christie Raymond | 725,000 | 0 | 1,500,002 | 0 | 1,478,565 | 0 | 77,363 | 3,780,930 |
| Chief Marketing Officer | ||||||||
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column; 0 means it reported zero. Figures are as printed in the filing, without adjustment.
| Named executive officer | FY2025 total | FY2024 total | FY2023 total | Δ FY2024→2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Buchanan | $9,582,736 | $20,907,736 | — | −11,325,000 |
| Michael J. Bender | 9,044,466 | — | — | — |
| Nick Jones | 5,657,108 | 3,435,074 | — | +2,222,034 |
| Jill Timm | 5,645,593 | 3,804,703 | — | +1,840,890 |
| Fred Hand | 5,152,495 | 3,020,844 | — | +2,131,651 |
| Christie Raymond | 3,780,930 | 2,300,432 | — | +1,480,498 |
Prior-year totals as disclosed in the corresponding proxy; deltas are computed values with the derivation shown in the register.
No insider equity transactions reported since the proxy statement.
| Executive | Award | Grant date | Threshold | Target | Granted | Maximum | Grant-date fair value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael J. Bender | PSU | — | — | — | — | — | $3,775,003 |
| Ashley Buchanan | PSU | — | — | — | — | — | 9,000,005 |
| Named executive officer | Time-vested (RSU) | Performance-vested (PSU) | Options / SARs | % performance-vested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael J. Bender | $0 | $3,775,003 | $0 | 100.0% |
| Ashley Buchanan | 0 | 9,000,005 | 0 | 100.0% |
% performance-vested = PSU grant-date fair value ÷ (RSU + PSU + Options), a computed value with the derivation shown in the register.
| Executive | Award | Shares unvested | Exercise price | Market value unvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christie Raymond | RSU | 73,350 | — | $1,268,955 |
| Ashley Buchanan | RSU | 440,098 | — | 7,613,695 |
| Fred Hand | RSU | 97,800 | — | 1,691,940 |
| Nick Jones | RSU | 112,469 | — | 1,945,714 |
| Jill Timm | RSU | 112,469 | — | 1,945,714 |
The Committee has designed our compensation program to reflect its philosophy that executive compensation should be directly linked to company performance, with the ultimate goal of increasing long-term shareholder value. Each key component of our executive compensation program is tied to company performance.
| CEO STI target (% of salary) | — |
|---|---|
| CEO LTI target (% of salary) | — |
| Independent consultant | Not explicitly named in provided text (referred to only as 'independent compensation consultant') |
| Clawback policy | True |
| Anti-hedging | True |
| Anti-pledging | True |
| Meeting year | Meeting date | For | Against | Abstain | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-05-20 | 66,512,423 | 4,040,026 | 400,937 | 94.27% | Passed |
| 2025 | 2025-05-14 | 26,847,609 | 21,735,883 | 511,627 | 55.26% | Passed |
| 2024 | 2024-05-15 | 67,443,157 | 5,535,291 | 258,558 | 92.42% | Passed |
| 2023 | 2023-05-10 | 73,072,970 | 4,791,676 | 248,209 | 93.85% | Passed |
| 2022 | 2022-05-11 | 82,962,496 | 22,759,387 | 2,887,828 | 78.47% | Passed |
| 2021 | 2021-05-12 | 114,083,440 | 4,213,454 | 2,528,443 | 96.44% | Passed |
Rows are labeled by annual-meeting year, with the meeting date beside each; the vote held in a given year acts on the prior fiscal year's compensation.
| Meeting year | Meeting date | Approval — company's computation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026-05-20 | 94.27%a |
| 2025 | 2025-05-14 | 55.26%b |
| 2024 | 2024-05-15 | 92.42%c |
a. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
b. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
c. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
Approval percentages are the company's own reported computations under its own stated standard, not recomputed by Velarion. Where a company does not state a standard, none is assumed.
| Ratio (CEO : median employee) | 593 : 1 |
|---|---|
| CEO total compensation | $9,407,629 |
| Median employee compensation | $15,859 |
| Director | Cash fees | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas A. KingsburyNot independent · Not standing for re-election · Departed during FY | $0 | $0 | $0 | — | $585,780 | $585,780 |
| John E. SchlifskeIndependent · Board Chair · Nominating and ESG · Finance · Executive (Chair) | 125,000 | 345,000 | 0 | — | 0 | 470,000 |
| Wendy ArlinIndependent · Finance · Executive | 125,000 | 200,000 | 0 | — | 0 | 325,000 |
| Jonas PrisingIndependent · Compensation (Chair) · Nominating and ESG · Executive | 125,000 | 170,000 | 0 | — | 0 | 295,000 |
| Yael CossetIndependent · Compensation · Nominating and ESG · Executive | 125,000 | 165,000 | 0 | — | 0 | 290,000 |
| H. Charles FloydIndependent · Audit · Compensation | 125,000 | 145,000 | 0 | — | 0 | 270,000 |
| Adolfo VillagomezIndependent · Audit · Compensation | 125,000 | 145,000 | 0 | — | 0 | 270,000 |
| Robbin MitchellIndependent · Audit · Nominating and ESG · Finance | 125,000 | 145,000 | 0 | — | 0 | 270,000 |
| Adrianne ShapiraIndependent · Not standing for re-election · Departed during FY | 35,027 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 35,027 |
| Christine DayIndependent · Not disclosed prior to departure · Departed during FY | 31,937 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 31,937 |
| Michael J. BenderEmployee director · Finance · Executive | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Annual cash retainer | $125,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | $145,000 |
| Per board meeting fee | — |
| Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov) | 30,000 / 25,000 / 20,000 |
| Stock ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer |
| Component | FY2025 |
|---|---|
| Cash retainers and fees | $941,964 |
| Equity awards (grant-date value) | $1,315,000 |
| All other compensation | $585,780 |
| Total cost of the board | $2,842,744 |
Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.
Most recent fiscal-year chief executive compensation at each disclosed peer, taken from that company's own proxy statement.
| Rank | Company | FY | Chief executive | Salary | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kohls | 2025 | Ashley Buchanan | $368,750 | $9,000,005 | $0 | $0 | $9,582,736 |
Each peer's compensation is from its most recently filed proxy; fiscal years differ by company. Each peer's figures come from its own filings; the subject company is highlighted. Peers whose chief executive compensation is outside our coverage universe are stated as such, never left blank.
Each figure's location is given both for the eye (section · page · table · row · column) and for a script (table/row/column index and exact character span in the filed document). Any figure can be independently confirmed against the source.
| # | Supports | Document | Filed | Accession | Location in document |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Section 01, Ashley Buchanan | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 9,582,736. Filing ↗machine: t495 · r23 · c16 · span 3003658–3003667 |
| 2 | Section 01, Michael J. Bender | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 9,044,466. Filing ↗machine: t495 · r10 · c16 · span 2935762–2935771 |
| 3 | Section 01, Nick Jones | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 5,657,108. Filing ↗machine: t495 · r17 · c16 · span 2972321–2972330 |
| 4 | Section 01, Jill Timm | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 5,645,593. Filing ↗machine: t495 · r11 · c16 · span 2941047–2941056 |
| 5 | Section 01, Fred Hand | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 5,152,495. Filing ↗machine: t495 · r14 · c16 · span 2956667–2956676 |
| 6 | Section 01, Christie Raymond | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Summary Compensation Table”. As printed: 3,780,930. Filing ↗machine: t495 · r20 · c16 · span 2987952–2987961 |
| 7 | Section 03, Michael J. Bender PSU | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2025” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t518 · r11 · c23 · span 3267981–3267990 |
| 8 | Section 03, Ashley Buchanan PSU | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2025” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: t495 · r23 · c8 · span 3001147–3001156 |
| 9 | Section 07, pay ratio | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 593 : 1. Filing ↗ |
| 10 | Section 08, Thomas A. Kingsbury | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 585,780. Filing ↗machine: t234 · r8 · c6 · span 1762649–1762656 |
| 11 | Section 08, John E. Schlifske | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 470,000. Filing ↗machine: t234 · r11 · c8 · span 1771154–1771161 |
| 12 | Section 08, Wendy Arlin | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 325,000. Filing ↗machine: t234 · r4 · c8 · span 1752647–1752654 |
| 13 | Section 08, Jonas Prising | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 295,000. Filing ↗machine: t234 · r10 · c8 · span 1768561–1768568 |
| 14 | Section 08, Yael Cosset | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 290,000. Filing ↗machine: t234 · r5 · c8 · span 1755234–1755241 |
| 15 | Section 08, H. Charles Floyd | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 270,000. Filing ↗machine: t234 · r7 · c8 · span 1760498–1760505 |
| 16 | Section 08, Adolfo Villagomez | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 270,000. Filing ↗machine: t234 · r13 · c8 · span 1776683–1776690 |
| 17 | Section 08, Robbin Mitchell | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 270,000. Filing ↗machine: t234 · r9 · c8 · span 1765972–1765979 |
| 18 | Section 08, Adrianne Shapira | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 35,027. Filing ↗machine: t234 · r12 · c2 · span 1772068–1772074 |
| 19 | Section 08, Christine Day | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 31,937. Filing ↗machine: t234 · r6 · c2 · span 1756145–1756151 |
| 20 | Section 08, Michael J. Bender | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 21 | Section 06, 2026 vote | Form 8-K | 2026-05-21 | 0001193125-26-234927 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 94.27% (votes for as printed: 66,512,423). Filing ↗ |
| 22 | Section 06, 2025 vote | Form 8-K | 2025-05-14 | 0001193125-25-119951 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 55.26% (votes for as printed: 26,847,609). Filing ↗ |
| 23 | Section 06, 2024 vote | Form 8-K | 2024-05-15 | 0001193125-24-139419 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 92.42% (votes for as printed: 67,443,157). Filing ↗ |
| 24 | Section 01 trend, Δ column (computed) | Computed | — | computed | Δ = current-FY total − prior-FY total per named officer.machine: formula: Δ = FY(n) − FY(n−1) |
| 25 | Section 03b vehicle mix (computed) | Computed | — | computed | RSU / PSU / Options grant-date fair values summed per officer from the grants table; % performance-vested = PSU ÷ (RSU+PSU+Options).machine: formula: sums + PSU ratio |
| 26 | Section 09b board cost (computed) | Computed | — | computed | Cash 941,964 + equity 1,315,000 + all other 585,780 = 2,842,744, summed across the director compensation table rows.machine: formula: Σ = 2,842,744 |
| 27 | Kohls (subject), Section 10b CEO total | DEF 14A | 2026-04-10 | 0001104659-26-041769 | CEO total compensation as printed in Kohls's own proxy. As printed: 9,582,736. Filing ↗machine: t495 · r23 · c16 · span 3003658–3003667 |