Target announced the retirement of Executive Vice President and Chief Stores Officer Janna Potts, who has been with the company for 30 years, serving in a variety of leadership roles during that time. Mark Schindele will take Potts' vacated position. 
Additionally, the retailer announced that it is formalizing the interim structure it announced for its merchandising organization in October with the appointment of Christina Hennington to executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, hardlines, essentials and capabilities, and Jill Sando to executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, style and owned brands, effective immediately.
Most recently, Potts played a critical role as the lead architect in the successful rollout of an entirely new operating model for Target’s nearly 1,900 stores, enhancing the retailer’s focus on guest service and fueling the growth of its digital business through a suite of convenient store-based delivery and pickup options. She will remain with the company in an advisory role until May 1.
Schindele has been with the company for nearly 20 years, most recently serving as its senior vice president of properties. In that role, he was responsible for leading the company’s ambitious remodel and small-format strategies, elevating the shopping experience and introducing Target to new guests in densely populated areas. Prior to that, Schindele held leadership positions in merchandising, sourcing and operations.
“Over the course of her 30 years with the company, Janna has made many significant contributions, including transforming the role our stores play in delivering for our guests in this new era of retail. We wish her the best as she prepares for retirement,” said Brian Cornell, chairman and CEO of Target Corp. “As we look ahead, I’m confident Mark brings the right set of diverse experiences to realize even more potential for Target. His passion for retail, Target and our team, coupled with his understanding of our end-to-end business, make him well-positioned to lead our Stores organization into 2020 and beyond.”
Both Hennington and Sando will join Target’s Leadership Team. This structure reflects the size, scale and complexity of Target’s multicategory commercial businesses and operations. In their roles, Hennington and Sando will collaborate closely with Stephanie Lundquist, Target’s executive vice president and president of food and beverage, on the development and execution of a unified merchandising strategy for the retailer.
“Christina and Jill are seasoned leaders and incredibly talented merchants, and during their respective tenures, both have driven outstanding outcomes that compel guests to choose Target,” said Cornell. “The appointments we’re making today with Mark, Christina and Jill underscore the expertise and deep bench of talent we continue to develop at Target, and I have every confidence in their ability to create opportunities that will fuel future growth for our company.”
