Michelle Gass
President and chief executive of Levi Strauss & Co. since 2024
Michelle Gass is the president and chief executive of Levi Strauss & Co., having joined as president in 2023 and become chief executive in 2024. A former Kohl's chief executive and long-time Starbucks leader, she matters because she is reshaping one of denim's best-known brands into a direct-to-consumer led business.
| Role | President and CEO, Levi Strauss & Co. |
|---|---|
| Joined Levi's | 2023, as president |
| CEO since | 29 January 2024 |
| Previous role | CEO of Kohl's, 2018 to 2022 |
| Born | 1968 |
Who is Michelle Gass?
Michelle Gass is the president and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.). According to the company, she joined in 2023 as president, responsible for leading the Levi's brand and the group's global digital and commercial operations, and has been president and chief executive since 29 January 2024. She has more than 30 years of experience in retail and consumer goods.
Career
Gass began her career in product development at Procter & Gamble. She then spent more than 16 years at Starbucks, where her roles included managing the Frappuccino beverage brand and later serving as president of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
In 2013 she joined Kohl's, the US department store group, as chief customer officer, later becoming chief merchandising and customer officer. She served as chief executive of Kohl's from 2018 until the end of 2022, before moving to Levi Strauss & Co.
Influence on the fashion business
At Levi's, Gass has emphasised a shift towards being a direct-to-consumer led retailer and a broader lifestyle brand beyond jeans. The company reported net revenues of 6.4 billion US dollars for 2024. Her experience across consumer brands, mass retail and global operations makes her one of the more closely watched leaders in the apparel sector.
Michelle Gass and technology
Gass has positioned artificial intelligence as a central part of how Levi's operates. In November 2025 the company announced a partnership with Microsoft to build an agentic AI "super-agent" embedded in Microsoft Teams and powered by Azure, with rollout planned from early 2026. At the same time it introduced:
- Outfitting, a personalised styling feature for customers
- STITCH, an AI assistant for store employees in 60 US locations
Announcing the partnership, Gass said: "AI represents a tremendous opportunity for us and is a key unlock as we rewire how we work, from our stores to our corporate offices."
Why it matters
Gass is one of a small number of fashion chief executives who have made AI an explicit, executive-level operating priority rather than an innovation side project. How Levi's turns its agent platform, store assistants and personalisation tools into measurable results will be a useful reference point for other heritage apparel brands weighing similar moves.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the CEO of Levi's?
Michelle Gass is president and chief executive of Levi Strauss & Co. She joined as president in 2023 and has led the company as chief executive since 2024.
What did Michelle Gass say about AI?
In November 2025, announcing a partnership with Microsoft, Gass said AI represents a tremendous opportunity and is a key unlock as Levi's rewires how it works, from its stores to its corporate offices.
