Kohl’s CEO Ashley Buchanan Remains Resilient With Wife Lesley Plotkin And Three Daughters By His Side After Being Fired

Key Takeaways

• Ashley Buchanan, former CEO of Kohl’s, sparked curiosity about his wife and kids.
• He has three daughters, Bentley, McKinley, and Britton, with his wife, Lesley.

Ashley Buchanan, an American business executive who joined Kohl’s as CEO in January 2025, was fired on Thursday, May 1, 2025, following his relationship with Incredibrew Founder and CEO Chandra Holt.

Kohl’s board fired Ashley Buchanan after they discovered he helped secure a multi-million dollar deal for a company tied to Chandra Holt, a retail executive with whom he reportedly had a romantic relationship.

Moreover, Ashley Buchanan didn’t disclose his relationship with Chandra Holt to the company, which violated Kohl’s ethics policy and led to his quick dismissal.

As the scandal surrounding the sudden firing of Ashley Buchanan from Kohl’s becomes national news, many are now digging into his personal life, including details about his wife.

While many believe that the business executive Ashley Buchanan has been cheating on his wife for years, some believe that he has not yet tied the knot, as he hasn’t shared anything about his personal life.

As curiosity about Ashley Buchanan’s personal life — especially his rumored romance with Chandra Holt — continues to grow, many are asking: does he have a wife? The answer is yes — he had a wife named Lesley Plotkin Buchanan.

However, a 2022 court filing shows the couple had initiated divorce proceedings, but with both Ashley and Lesley keeping a low profile, it remains unclear whether they finalized the split or reconciled.

Ashley Buchanan And Lesley Plotkin Buchanan Are Proud Parents Of Three Daughters

The former CEO of Kohl’s, John Ashley Buchanan, and his wife, Lesley Plotkin Buchanan, are proud parents of three daughters, Bentley, McKinley, and Britton Bay.

Moreover, the couple welcomed their youngest child, Britton Bay, on January 30, 2013.

While not much is known about their kids, and just like their parents, they seem to keep things pretty private, Ashley and Lesley’s daughters seem to be interested in sports, like their father and grandfather.

Ashley Buchanan played tennis on Baylor University’s NCAA Division I tennis team, whereas his father, James Buchanan, played basketball for the Tigers while attending Mount Pleasant High School.

Talking about Ashley Buchanan’s wife, although Lesley Plotkin Buchanan has shared very little information about her life, her Facebook page displays that she previously worked at Walmart, Dell, and Belo Corporation.

Moreover, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, born to father Gary and mother Karen Plotkin, Lesley attended Omaha Burke High School and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.

While it is unclear if Ashley Buchanan and his wife Lesley Plotkin Buchanan are still together, her Facebook page displays she currently lives in Southlake, Texas, and no pictures of her with Ashley are available.

In Case You Didn’t Know

• Ashley Buchanan was born in 1974 in Mount Pleasant, Texas, the eldest child of Patricia (Patti) and James Buchanan.
• He has a younger brother named Brad Buchanan and a sister named Stacie.
• Ashley previously served as the CEO of The Michaels Companies in Irving, Texas, for over 5 years and as an Executive Vice President and Chief Merchant of Walmart in Bentonville, Arkansas.
• He earned his BBA and MBA degrees from Baylor University.