Target appoints Alexis Williams as chief corporate affairs officer
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Photo credit: Stagwell
Target has named Alexis Williams as chief corporate affairs officer, Axios is first to report.
Why it matters: Williams and her team will be tasked with revamping the retailer's reputation following years of political backlash and sagging sales.
Details: Williams will report to Michael Fiddelke — who took over as CEO earlier this year —and will oversee the team responsible for communications, stakeholder management, risk, enterprise storytelling and reputation.
- Williams most recently served as chief corporate affairs officer at Stagwell, where she led its Future of News initiative.
- Prior to that, she spent almost a decade at Politico where she supported business development, events and special projects.
What they're saying: "In her role, she will be responsible for leading an integrated corporate affairs approach that helps drive Target's next chapter of growth, including how we manage stakeholders, evolve and amplify our communications capabilities and take advantage of opportunities to share Target's enterprise story and strengthen our reputation," Fiddelke wrote in an internal memo obtained by Axios.
The big picture: Target has faced brand and reputation strains due to boycotts in response to its waffling DEI commitments, backlash related to immigration raids in Minneapolis and declining foot traffic.
Yes but: Fiddelke is focused on a corporate turnaround, and Williams' team will be tasked with telling that story to employees, consumers, regulators and community members.
- "If you're frustrated with our recent performance, we are too, and our entire team is working incredibly hard to return to growth and live up to our full potential," Fiddelke said during a recent earnings call.
What to watch: As Axios' Kelly Tyko previously reported, Target plans to spend $5 billion this year — a 25% jump — to accelerate store remodels and improve same-day fulfillment and expand next-day shipping to more than half of U.S. households.
- The retailer recently cut prices on 3,000 everyday items and stocked thousands of toys under $20.
- It also recently inked a deal with OpenAI that would allow shoppers to browse and buy products directly in ChatGPT.
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