Kohl’s CEO wasn’t fired over performance
Kohl’s CEO wasn’t fired over performance. He was fired over broken trust. That says everything.
After just 100 days in the role, Ashley Buchanan was terminated for undisclosed conflicts of interest involving a personal relationship and “highly unusual” vendor terms.
The board didn’t hesitate.
The numbers didn’t matter.
Ethics did.
This is why I always start with the CEO. Not the model. Not the margin. The people.
If a leader can’t be trusted with the process, you can’t trust the outcomes.
Boards rarely pay the price for getting it wrong.
But Investors do — and the cost is real.