Target Names Chief Digital and Product Officer
“I break silos and build relationships,” Target’s new executive vice president, chief digital and product officer, said in an interview. “As someone who leads with optimism, I believe digital is a team sport — important ideas can come from anywhere in the organization.”
Digital currently represents 20% of Target’s business, the company said. To support this business, Prat Vemana will take on the role on October 31, reporting to chief guest experience officer Cara Sylvester. Vemana joins Target from Kaiser Permanente, where he served as SVP and chief digital officer, and will oversee Target’s digital business, including site merchandising, user experience, digital operations and product, and the retailer’s online third-party marketplace Target+. Additionally, Vemana will provide key support for Target’s product teams across the company by bringing a holistic view to the retailer’s overall product strategy.
“Target is the gold standard for consumer experience in retail, both online and in its brick-and-mortar stores,” Vemana noted in the interview. “I experience this personally. Recently, after placing an online order with Target, I pulled into the parking lot. The app notified me that my order was ready and asked if I wanted to pick up my order using Drive Up. That is amazing customer service. This level of anticipating needs and proactively offering solutions is a big part of why I am so excited about the opportunity to join the team and help shape the way we use digital technology to bring joy to guests.”
Vemana has a history of retail experience. Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, he held digital leadership positions at The Home Depot and Staples. At Kaiser Permanente, he led its enterprise product management and experience teams. During his time at the company, he advanced and accelerated its digital strategy by modernizing its platforms to migrate, deploy and manage applications with greater speed and agility. His work included implementing critical consumer experience enhancements like the redesign of the company’s mobile app and launching same-day home delivery for its pharmacy business.
“Digital continues to be a major growth driver for Target, and we’re excited for Prat to bring his proven expertise in this area to an elevated role on our leadership team,” said CEO Brian Cornell. “Our team has created a digital shopping experience that is truly best in class, and under Prat’s leadership, our digital business is well-positioned to continue growing for years to come.”
“We know our guests choose Target because our shopping experience offers them a sense of joy and ease that can’t be beat, and our digital business plays an increasingly outsized role in bringing that to life for the millions of people who regularly visit our stores, website and app,” said Cara Sylvester, chief guest experience officer, Target. “With his experience leading digital businesses across consumer-facing industries and a guest-centric vision, Prat is the ideal leader to further accelerate Target’s digital growth and maximize our impact for guests, team members and our business.”