As Target begins operating under new CEO Michael Fiddelke, the retailer has promoted two top executives to C-suite positions, both reporting directly to Fiddelke and effective Feb. 15. Cara Sylvester, formerly Chief Guest Experience Officer, has been named Chief Merchandising Officer, and Lisa Roath, formerly Chief Merchandising Officer of Food, Essentials and Beauty, will take the COO position.
As part of these changes, current Chief Commercial Officer Rick Gomez will leave the company, and Chief Merchandising Officer for Apparel and Accessories, Home and Fun101 Jill Sando will retire.
“Cara and Lisa are proven leaders who deeply know our business and can drive change that delivers results,” said Fiddelke in a statement. “As they lead two of our most critical functions, we’ve got the right foundation to make bold, strategic moves and execute our plans for Target’s future.”
Target Shores up Store Staffing, Cuts DC Jobs
Additionally, Target will reportedly increase store staffing while eliminating approximately 400 jobs at distribution centers and about 100 in regional offices, according to CNBC. Quoting an internal employee memo, the publication reported that Target said it will reduce the number of store districts — the geographic areas that its nearly 2,000 stores are broken into, which each have dedicated staffing — and put resources toward more hours for frontline store employees.
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Earlier this month, Fiddelke identified four top priorities as he begins his stint as Target CEO: leading with merchandising authority, elevating the guest experience, accelerating technology and investing in Target’s people and communities. Additionally, the retailer will be emphasizing larger-footprint stores with its 2026 openings, including five of seven stores debuting this spring that are larger than Target’s average size of 125,000 square feet.
