Levi Strauss & Company (LEVI) CEO Chip Burgh’s succession plan to retire from the job he’d held for 12 years began in earnest on Nov. 8, 2022, when the denim brand announced that Kohl’s (KSS) CEO Michelle Gass would join the company as President, reporting to Bergh.
The idea was to have Gass learn about Levi’s business over a maximum of 18 months, at which time the veteran manager would replace Bergh as CEO. The official announcement came a few months early, on Dec. 7, 2023. Gass officially takes over on Jan.29. Bergh will serve as Executive Vice Chair from the end of January until his retirement on April 26.
