An activist hedge fund chaired by former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is pushing U.S. department store operator Kohl's Corporation (NYSE:KSS) to sell itself, according to people familiar with the matter. Vision One Management Partners, a fund co-founded by Harper and former Carl Icahn protege Courtney Mather, has built a stake in Kohl's and expressed concerns to the company about its future, the sources said. Vision One has asked Kohl's to launch a sale process and also give it board representation, the sources added, requesting anonymity because the matter is confidential.

Kohl's and Vision One did not respond to requests for comment.