Target Promotes Mulligan to COO, Hires Smith as CFO; Adds Knauss, Edwards to Board
Target promoted John Mulligan to the newly created role of executive vice-president and COO, effective September 1, 2015. Mulligan will assume oversight of stores, supply chain, and properties. Joining Target as executive vice-president and CFO is Cathy Smith, a seasoned retail business leader. Both Mulligan and Smith will report to Target’s chairman and CEO, Brian Cornell.
Mulligan has worked at Target since 1996, when he began as a financial analyst. He has served as the company’s CFO since 2012. In 2014, he led the company as the retailer’s interim president and CEO from May to August while continuing to act as CFO. Throughout his tenure at Target, Mulligan has served in key leadership positions in finance and human resources, including director of Target.com finance, director of capital investments, vice-president of pay and benefits, vice-president of financial planning and analysis, and senior vice-president of treasury and accounting. Mulligan will also serve as an advisor to Smith throughout her transition into the company and the role. Smith will formally join the company on September 1, 2015.
Prior to joining Target, Smith served as executive vice-president and CFO at St. Louis-based Express Scripts, a Fortune 20 company and the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit manager with $100 billion in revenue. She has also held CFO positions at Walmart International, GameStop, and others.
In a separate announcement, Target announced its board of directors elected Donald Knauss, former executive chairman and former chairman and CEO of The Clorox Company and Robert Edwards, former CEO of Safeway, Inc., as new directors, effective immediately.
Knauss served as chairman and CEO of Clorox from October 2006–November 2014. He then served as executive chairman until July 1, 2015. Before joining Clorox, he was president and COO of Coca-Cola North America. He is also a former U.S. Marine Corps officer.
Edwards served as CEO of Safeway from May 2013–April 2015. He also served Safeway as president and CFO from April 2012–May 2013. He joined Safeway in 2004 as executive vice president and CFO.
Zakin Joins Cra-Z-Art
Cra-Z-Art announced the appointment of Charlie Zakin as vice-president of advertising, which is a newly created position for the company. Zakin is a veteran of both the toy and media industries, with extensive experience on the client and agency side.
Zakin formerly served as vice-president, corporate media at Hasbro. Prior to Hasbro, Zakin was employed at the global media agency Saatchi and Saatchi, where he rose to the title of associate media director, heading up the General Mills kids’ business.