Target Announces Leadership Changes
Target announced a number of leadership changes in the U.S. and Canada. Effective immediately, Tony Fisher, president, Target Canada, will depart the company. Mark Schindele, senior vice-president, merchandising operations, will assume the role of president, Target Canada. In this position, Schindele will report to Kathee Tesija, chief merchandising and supply chain officer, whose responsibilities include Target Canada.
Schindele brings 22 years of retail experience, including 15 years at Target, to the position. During his Target tenure, he has played an integral role in launching new store formats, including PFresh, CityTarget, and Target Express. In his current role, he leads a global team and provides senior-level oversight to Target’s merchandising operations, including systems, global sourcing, and product development.
Schindele will join the Target Canada leadership team, which includes:
• Janna Adair Potts, senior vice-president, stores and distribution
• John Butcher, senior vice-president, merchandising
• Livia Zufferli, vice-president, marketing
• Tiffany Monroe, vice-president, human resources
• Mark Wong, general counsel
Target will also be naming a non-executive chair in Canada. In this newly created advisory role, the non-executive chair will provide counsel and support to the president of Target Canada to ensure all strategies and tactics align with the Canadian marketplace.
U.S. Leadership Changes
In the U.S., Target is also elevating three senior merchandising leaders and realigning the team.
• Trish Adams has been promoted to executive vice-president, apparel and home
• Jose Barra has been promoted to executive vice-president, essentials and hardlines
• Keri Jones has been promoted to executive vice-president, merchandising planning, and operations
Kiesewetter to Receive ASTRA Lifetime Achievement Award
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) announced that toy industry legend Ted Kiesewetter will be honored at Marketplace & Academy with ASTRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
A veteran of nearly 40 years in the toy industry, Kiesewetter founded International Playthings, Inc. (IPI), now a division of Epoch Company Ltd.
“Our annual gathering at Marketplace & Academy is an appropriate time to pause and recognize a leader like Ted who has had such an immense impact on growing the specialty toy industry,” says Kathleen McHugh, president of ASTRA. “Honoring Ted with the Lifetime Achievement Award is our way of saying ‘thank you’.”
In addition to leading IPI for many years, Kiesewetter supported the industry in other ways, including his founding role in Playing for Keeps (now part of the Association of Children’s Museums), which promoted healthy play with products that focus on the features of the child’s play rather than the features of the toy. He was also an early and consistent supporter of ASTRA and its efforts to promote collaboration and cooperation among manufacturers, retailers, and sales representatives.
ASTRA will present Kiesewetter with the Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual Awards Breakfast and Business Meeting, which will be held Monday, June 9, 2014, from 8am to 9:30am at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Ariz.