Target names first chief growth officer, new marketing chief in executive shuffles

Target Corp. named its first chief growth officer and a new marketing chief in a C-suite shuffle announced Tuesday.

Christina Hennington, who was one of two chief merchants, is the executive vice president and chief growth officer, a new position for the Minneapolis-based retailer.

Cara Sylvester was promoted to executive vice president and chief marketing and digital officer, replacing Rick Gomez, who will become executive vice president and chief food and beverage officer.

"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," Brian Cornell, Target's chief executive, 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. I'm confident these moves will drive Target's position as a best-in-class retailer today and well into the future."

In her new role, Hennington will oversee merchandising as well as enterprise strategy, insights and innovation as she works across the organization "to identify and pursue revenue-generating strategies that deepen the company's relevancy with current and prospective guests, and reinforce its stronghold as a leading U.S. retailer," according to a company news release.

Hennington, who has been with Target since 2003, was promoted from chief merchandising officer of hardlines, essentials and capabilities, a position she started early last year after working in various merchandising roles.

The company said Hennington was "instrumental" as the retailer worked to modernize its merchandising organization, and she also was critical as Target established itself as a reliable resource for essential products during the pandemic.

Hennington shared chief merchant duties with Jill Sando, who was in charge of style and owned brands. Sando will now be Target's sole chief merchant.

Before her new role, Sylvester served in a variety of leadership roles across strategy and merchandising. She has been with Target since 2007.

In his time as chief marketing officer, Gomez helped push Target's digital growth and launched its Target Circle loyalty program. Last November, a year after launch, Target reported Target Circle had nearly 80 million members who had saved close to $2 billion through loyalty offers.

Gomez replaces Stephanie Lundquist, former president of food and beverage who announced her plans to leave the company earlier this year.

As part of the changes, Katie Boylan, chief communications officer, was elevated to the executive vice president level. She adds to her job overseeing Target's social responsibility and sustainability initiatives, as well as the company's philanthropic efforts, including the Target Foundation.

Nicole Norfleet • 612-673-4495

Twitter: @nicolenorfleet