Target names John Mulligan executive vice president and COO

Target Corp., Minneapolis, said it promoted John Mulligan to the newly created role of executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective Sept. 1. Mulligan will assume oversight of stores, supply chain and properties.

Joining Target as executive vice president and chief financial officer will be Cathy Smith, a seasoned retail business leader, Target said. Both Mulligan and Smith will report to Target’s chairman and CEO, Brian Cornell.

“John has unparalleled expertise in Target’s business, and I am very pleased that he will be assuming this new leadership position." Cornell said. "Bringing together key operations functions under John will put Target on a more progressive path to transformation and help us break down barriers to deliver improvements across our business.

"As our new CFO, Cathy brings significant business and retail expertise to Target," he added. "Her background will be integral to accelerating our long-term growth strategy.”

Mulligan has worked for Target since 1996, beginning as a financial analyst, Target said. He has served as the company’s chief financial officer since 2012. In 2014, he led the company as interim president and CEO from May to August while continuing to act as chief financial officer. Throughout his tenure at Target, Mulligan has served in key leadership positions in finance and human resources.

“Integrating operations will help further fuel Target’s transformation, and as COO, I’ll prioritize driving improvements in the fundamental areas of our business and equipping the team to move quickly," Mulligan said. "By working strategically across the enterprise, we will build on the critical capabilities that will fuel Target’s differentiation in the marketplace. Achieving operational excellence is foundational to Target’s long-term success."

Prior to joining Target, Smith served as executive vice president and chief financial officer for St. Louis-based Express Scripts, a Fortune 20 company and the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit manager, with $100 billion in revenue, Target said. She has also held chief financial officer positions at Walmart International, GameStop and other companies.