Banana Republic Names Donald Kohler as CEO

Gap Inc. announces that Donald Kohler will serve as Banana Republic’s Global Brand President and CEO, effective from July 2026.

Donald has more than three decades of experience across the luxury, premium and specialty retail markets which informs his leadership of the brand.

According to a Gap Inc. statement, Donald will help drive Banana Republic’s momentum and elevate its position as a “modern explorer lifestyle brand rooted in craftsmanship, creativity and discovery”.

Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson praises Donald as a leader, saying: “Donald is a product-driven leader with deep global expertise and an extraordinary track record of revitalising brands to new relevance with clarity, discipline and storytelling that connects with customers to drive growth.

“That rare combination of operational excellence and brand building positions him well to lead Banana Republic’s next chapter – building on the brand’s momentum and reinvigoration as a modern explorer brand.”

Leadership experience across global brands

Donald joins Banana Republic from PVH Corp., where he recently served as CEO of PVH Americas, overseeing Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and the company’s regional retail, eCommerce, wholesale and licensing businesses. 

Prior to working for PVH Corp., Donald held senior leadership roles at Burberry, Ferragamo and Diesel, where he worked on strengthening brand positioning, delivering operational excellence, and leading consumer-focused transformation across global markets.

Earlier in his career, Donald spent more than 10 years at Gap Inc. in merchandising leadership roles across Gap, GapKids and babyGap.

“Returning to Gap Inc. is deeply meaningful for me,” Donald notes. 

“Banana Republic has extraordinary heritage and a powerful opportunity to inspire today’s consumer through elevated product, immersive storytelling and a cohesive customer journey. 

“I believe great brands are built by great teams, and I look forward to getting to know the Banana Republic team and building what’s next together.”

A time of brand transformation

The company’s CEO position has been vacant for two years since the departure of Sandra Stangl, who was ousted in May 2024 following a stall in company growth.

After a prolonged period of declining sales, Banana Republic has seen a slow recovery in recent months. In the fourth quarter ending in January, its comparable sales were up 4% year on year, marking the brand’s third consecutive quarter of positive in-store sales growth.

Donald joins Banana Republic at a time of transformation and a period of growing sales momentum. The brand has been working to strengthen an identity based on storytelling and evoking travel, adventure and what it calls “the modern explorer".

As Kohler steps into the role, Banana Republic’s strategy will focus on strengthening its product architecture, enhancing brand storytelling and enhancing the digital experience.

In the brand's fiscal year 2025 – which ended 31 Jan – Banana Republic reported net sales of US$1.9bn, a 1% decrease from the prior year. Comparable sales increased 3%.

In Q4, net sales increased 1% to US$549m and comparable sales increased 4%, the brand’s third consecutive quarter of comparable growth.