Target announced on August 11 that Chandhu Nair will become the company's first Chief AI Officer and Senior Vice President when he joins on August 24. This hire makes Target one of the last major US retailers to create a dedicated AI leadership role at the senior vice president level, following Walmart, Gap, and Best Buy.
Nair joins from Lowe's, where he led Stores, Data, AI and Innovation as Senior Vice President. This role placed him at the intersection of physical retail operations and AI infrastructure at a company that competes in the same home improvement category Target has been expanding into. He has also held leadership roles at Staples and Gap.
"The most meaningful AI stories won't be about what happens in a lab," Nair said in Target's announcement. "They'll be about what happens on the front line, how we make shopping easier for a guest, give a team member a better tool, make a business decision with more confidence or bring a new idea to market faster."
