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Target makes flurry of executive appointments

Brett Craig named CIO, Cara Sylvester takes new role of chief guest experience officer

Russell Redman

May 5, 2022

3 Min Read
Target_storefront-bullseye_logo.jpg
Target also has named Christina Hennington to lead Target in India, added Arthur Valdez to the corporate leadership team and promoted Matt Zabel to general counsel.Target

Target Corp. has announced a series of leadership team changes, including the naming of a new chief information officer and new roles for its chief marketing and digital officer and chief growth officer.

Minneapolis-based Target said Thursday that Cara Sylvester has been appointed as executive vice president and chief guest experience officer, a newly created position. In that role, she will work with team’s across Target — including marketing, digital and technology — to lead the discount store chain’s customer experience strategy, focusing on ways to increase personalization and draw more shoppers to Target’s stores, website and mobile app, according to the company.

Cara Sylvester-Brett Craig-Target.jpgCara Sylvester, Target's new chief guest experience officer, and Brett Craig, Target's new CIO. (Photos courtesy of Target)

 

With Target since 2007, Sylvester most recently served as executive vice president and chief marketing and digital officer. She will continue reporting to Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell. 

Meanwhile, Brett Craig has been promoted to executive vice president and CIO, succeeding Mike McNamara, who is slated to retire next year. Previously, Craig served as senior vice president of digital, and since coming to Target in 2008 he has held a range of leadership posts across business areas, including technology and merchandising. As CIO, he will report to Sylvester.

Related:Target to hike starting hourly wages

Target announced McNamara’s intent to retire last September. He has been the retailer’s CIO since joining the company in 2015. Plans call for McNamara to serve in a strategic advisory role through the end of January 2023.

Among other executive moves, Christina Hennington, executive vice president and chief growth officer, will assume responsibility for Target in India. Hennington has served as chief growth officer since February 2021. At the time a newly created position, the role gave her oversight of merchandising, product design and sourcing, strategy, insights and growth. Target said her leadership of Target in India will bolster connectivity between the retailer’s growth strategies and multidisciplinary team in India. With Target since 2003, Hennington will continue reporting to Cornell.

Christina Hennington-Arthur Valdez-Matt Zabel-Target.jpg

Christina Hennington, Target's new leader in India; Arthur Valdez, chief supply chain and logistics officer; and Matt Zabel, the new general counsel. (Photos courtesy of Target)

Target also said Arthur Valdez, executive vice president and chief supply chain and logistics officer, now joins the company’s leadership team. Target noted that Valdez, who has served in his current role since coming to the retailer in 2016 from Amazon, has played an integral role in transforming Target’s supply chain network, including providing more agility to meet the changing needs of omnichannel customers. He will continue reporting to John Mulligan, executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Related:Target’s Kamau Witherspoon to become Shipt CEO

In addition, Target has promoted Matt Zabel, senior vice president of risk and employee and labor relations, to executive vice president and general counsel. With Target since 2010, Zabel led the company’s internal COVID-19 task force, working across the enterprise to help steer the retailer's planning and response efforts. In his new role, he will continue reporting to Don Liu, executive vice president and chief legal and risk officer.  

“Target has experienced tremendous growth over the past two years,” Cornell said in a statement. “The updates we're making to our leadership team reflect the size and scale of our more than $100 billion business, while also positioning the company for continued momentum well into the future. I have tremendous confidence in these leaders and the value they bring to our organization as we work together to meet the needs of current and new Target guests.”

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About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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