New President at Target Canada

Tony Fisher, Target Canada's president, is leaving the company, the most significant of a spate of leadership changes the retailer announced Tuesday, and the latest since CEO Gregg Steinhafel's departure earlier this month.

The changes are expected to "further the company’s efforts to drive U.S. traffic and sales, improve its Canadian operations, and advance its ongoing digital transformation," the Minneapolis-based retailer said. Target officials said the timing of these changes is unrelated to its first-quarter 2014 financial results, which the company plans to announce Wednesday morning.

Fisher is succeeded at the helm by Mark Schindele, SVP of merchandising operations, who will now report to Kathee Tesija, corporate chief merchandising and supply chain officer, whose responsibilities include Target Canada.

Schindele brings 22 years of retail experience, including 15 years at Target, to his new position. During his Target tenure, he has played an integral role in launching new store formats, including PFresh, CityTarget and Target Express. In his current role, he leads a global team and provides senior-level oversight to Target’s merchandising operations, including systems, global sourcing and product development.

“We are grateful to Tony for leading Target's first international launch. One of our key priorities is improving performance in Canada more rapidly, and we believe it is important to be aggressive. We have a committed team who is focused on delivering an outstanding shopping experience to our Canadian guests and getting our performance on track,” said John Mulligan, Target’s interim president and CEO. “Mark’s broad understanding of the retail industry and his record of leading global operations will help accelerate efforts to drive improvements across our Canadian business.”

Mulligan took over for the beleaguered Steinhafel, whose tenure as the company's president, chairman and CEO ended in the wake of last year's data breach.

Target Canada's leadership team also includes Janna Adair Potts, SVP of stores and distribution; John Butcher, SVP of merchandising; Livia Zufferli, VP of marketing; Tiffany Monroe, VP of human resources; and Mark Wong, general counsel. Target will also name a nonexecutive chair in Canada; this advisory position will provide counsel and support to the president to ensure all strategies and tactics align with the Canadian marketplace.

“Target is committed to making more rapid progress in Canada, and I am personally very excited about working alongside the team to improve operations and deliver a Target experience that will earn us the trust and loyalty of our Canadian guests,” Schindele said.

U.S. Leadership Changes

Target is also elevating three senior merchandising leaders in the United States and realigning the team to better leverage functional expertise as the company focuses on driving improved performance.

Trish Adams has been promoted to EVP for apparel and home, Jose Barra has been promoted to EVP of essentials and hardlines, and Keri Jones has been promoted to EVP for merchandising planning and operations. “Moving more quickly to bring bold, innovative ideas to the marketplace will help us connect with our guests in more meaningful ways," Tesija said. "By realigning the merchandising team, we can better leverage our senior-level leaders, be more agile and deliver for our guests with a greater sense of urgency."

 

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