Following an investigation conducted by outside counsel and overseen by the board’s audit committee, Kohl’s terminated Buchanan for cause, citing undisclosed conflicts of interest related to vendor transactions. The company stated in the announcement that his firing was unrelated to Kohl’s performance, financial reporting, or operational results.

Ashley Buchanan had been with Kohl’s for only a few months. The retail chain said he was fired for cause.

Ashley Buchanan, who only took the post in January, was terminated for cause following an investigation into vendor transactions, the department store said.