Dive Brief:
- Target on Tuesday announced the promotion of Cara Sylvester to the role of executive vice president, and chief marketing and digital officer.
- Sylvester most recently held the role of senior vice president of home, according to a press release. She joined the company in 2007 and has served in several leadership positions across strategy and merchandising at Target.
- Her predecessor, Rick Gomez, is now Target's executive vice president, and chief food and beverage officer, per the release. The company also named Christina Hennington as executive vice president and chief growth officer, a new role for the company, and Katie Boylan as executive vice president and chief communications officer. All leadership changes are effective immediately.
Dive Insight:
The executive leadership shuffle at Target comes amid strong sales figures and continuous investments to steal more market share. The series of internal promotions positions Target for growth, the company stated.
While many of its retail competitors have scaled back and halted plans, Target has continued to pursue partnerships and launch private labels throughout the past year. Thanks to long-term investments it made years back, Target has been able to quickly respond to shifts in consumer purchasing behavior.
The big-box retailer has grown in a turbulent environment. The company reported 20.7% comparable sales growth in the third quarter. Its digital comp sales grew 155%, with same-day services (Order Pick Up, Drive Up and Shipt) increasing 217% in the same quarter.
"The depth of expertise across Target's leadership team in particular has been a critical driver in Target's winning strategy and the excellence of our operations," CEO Brian Cornell said in a statement. "The changes we're announcing create new opportunities for key leaders to bring their knowledge and experiences to different areas of the business."
Sylvester's new responsibilities as chief marketer include "deepening affinity" for Target's brand throughout its different platforms, expanding the company's loyalty program and its media company and driving digital growth for the company.
During her time as senior vice president of home, Sylvester helped increase the category's digital penetration to a strong position within the company. She also helped boost the home category's sales and market share gains.
In the newly created role of chief growth officer, Hennington will "identify and pursue revenue-generating strategies." Jill Sando will take on Hennington's role and become executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. Sando will lead buying for all of the retailer's hardlines and softlines product categories.
