The retailer has appointed Chandhu Nair as its first-ever senior vice president and chief AI officer, effective August 24, 2026. Michael Fiddelke took over as Target’s CEO on February 1, 2026, and the creation of a dedicated chief AI officer role signals where his priorities lie. Under Fiddelke, Target has been telegraphing a desire to weave AI more deeply into merchandising, customer engagement, and operational workflows. As part of the same leadership shuffle, Purvi Shah has been appointed senior vice president of user experience. Who is Chandhu NairNair brings more than 20 years of experience in technology and AI to Target.