Target Corporation wants to differentiate itself as a style and design leader - and it's making some leadership moves to help that aim. The Minneapolis-based retailer has named Gena Fox as its new senior vice president of design and Tara Russell as senior vice president of apparel and accessories. Target is also emphasizing its private labels, and has tapped Sarah McMullin as senior vice president of owned brands sourcing and product operations, which now includes manufacturing for owned brands.
Target has posted flat or falling sales for three years - but it's promising a turnaround this year. Fox has been with the retailer 25 years, working her way through various merchandising departments until her most recent role as senior vice president of apparel and accessories, a role she held for more than six years. She helped shape and scale many of Target's owned brands, including A New Day, Universal Thread, Wild Fable, All in Motion, Cat and Jack, and Shade and Shore in the apparel and accessories and Threshold in the home department.
She also contributed to Target collaborations like with Kate Spade and Roller Rabbit. In her new role, Fox will set the agenda for how Target shows up in culture, trend and across owned brands, according to a Target spokesperson. Russell is taking over Fox's previous role.
Russell has been at Target 14 years, spending the past several years in visual merchandising and guest experience. On LinkedIn, she said she's helped grow brands, categories and experiences ?rooted in style, value and deep guest connection.? She helped lead the design-focused Target SoHo store, which a Target spokesperson said is a strong example of ?bringing a bold concept to life?
in a way that resonates with customers. McMullin has worked at Target for six years in a few owned brands roles. She spent 24 years at Nike Inc. before that, working in multiple overseas roles.
She left Nike in 2019 as vice president of product creation for Nike apparel and equipment.
