Q&A with Paul Gaffney, Kohl’s New Chief Technology Officer

Paul Gaffney joined Kohl’s this past September as senior executive vice president and chief technology officer. In his role, Paul is responsible for all technology, information and digital platforms supporting Kohl’s omnichannel business. Now, several months into his role, we sat down with Paul to hear more about his vision for technology at Kohl’s. 

Q: What drew you to the opportunity at Kohl’s?
It was clear to me, even before joining, that Kohl’s is the retailer to watch. Kohl’s has assembled a strong leadership team that has a clear purpose and Kohl’s customers are extremely loyal — in fact, we serve 65 million customers today. I’m proud to be part of such a strong technology team that has maintained tremendous momentum over the past years in driving innovation and change across every aspect of Kohl’s business. I look forward to the opportunity to help contribute to their ongoing success.

Q: You have deep experience having been in the technology industry for more than 25 years. How do you approach the role of technology today?
My approach to technology is all about value creation. We want to use technology to solve points of friction and to capitalize on new opportunities for our customers and associates in a way that truly delivers economic value. I'm looking forward to leveraging the cross-functional strengths of our teams to continue to serve the needs of the holistic business.

Q: How does Kohl’s continue to evolve with the wants and needs of today’s customers?
We all know consumers shop today a variety of channels and Kohl’s customers are no different. Meeting the customer where they want to be, with an easy, integrated customer experience is integral to our business growth. We are focused on delivering exceptional experiences for our customers however they choose to shop us — in our stores, on Kohls.com or with our Kohl’s App, and in the variety of alternative places customers will take us in the future.

The next generation of apparel shoppers are technology-centric. They find fashion inspiration on social media and other digital venues. I believe Kohl’s has a unique opportunity to apply our technology strengths and capabilities to how this new consumer blends the digital and physical world.

Q: What’s on the horizon for Kohl’s as you look ahead? 
Kohl’s was built on a foundation of delivering great brands at a great value. As we continue to bring amazing national and proprietary brands to customers nationwide, and at the value that customers expect from Kohl’s, we’ll need to use technology to inspire our customers with accessible lifestyle solutions and shopping conveniences — all while keeping costs low.