John Herma
Business Leader and Children's Health Champion
Reinventing retail and transforming lives, Herma's leadership in building Kohl's remains a cornerstone of American business success
A track star in his student years, Herma helped create the modern department store by reinventing, along with two other partners, the Milwaukee-based Kohl’s retail chain. In today’s age of online shopping, Kohl’s remains one of the most stable and robust brick-and-mortar businesses of its kind. In 1987, Herma responded to a family tragedy by establishing the Herma Heart Institute of Children’s Wisconsin Hospital, which ranks among the top pediatric heart centers in North America. He has given generously to the Rutgers University Class of 1970 and Rutgers Athletics, making the largest gift in the history of Rutgers football to upgrade the Hale Athletic Center and build the Brown Football Recruiting Lounge and Welcome Center.