Target's chief spokesperson is leaving the company

No reason was given; it's the latest change in a reshuffling of the company's management.

June 14, 2017 at 2:56PM
Shares in Target were down 10 percent.
The reshuffling at Target headquarters continues. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The turnover among senior executives at Target Corp. continues with the impending departure of its chief spokeswoman for the past seven years.

The Minneapolis-based retailer confirmed Tuesday to the Star Tribune that Dustee Jenkins, senior vice president and chief communications officer, is leaving next week. Her last day is June 23.

The company did not disclose a reason for her departure, and she did not respond to requests for comment.

Jenkins led the company's media strategy and communications during a damaging data breach in 2013, the subsequent ouster of then-CEO Gregg Steinhafel, the hiring of CEO Brian Cornell and the decision to pull out of Canada in 2015.

"We thank Dustee for her significant contributions to Target and wish her well in the future," Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman, said in a statement.

Jenkins will be replaced by Katie Boylan, who has been the No. 2 on Target's communications team.

This is the latest leadership change in a period punctuated by a number of executive departures and new hires as Target's sales have fallen in the past year. Target, like many retailers, has been struggling to keep up with the shift to online shopping.

Target also announced internally on Tuesday that Tammy Redpath, a 27-year Target veteran, will become president of Target India. That division includes more than 2,500 employees who work at Target's offices in Bangalore in areas such as technology, marketing, finance and data analytics. Redpath, who most recently served as senior vice president of marketing, will start in her new role in September.

She replaces Navneet Kapoor, who left Target India last month to take a job at a logistics firm. Kapoor continues to serve on Target India's board and will be a strategic adviser through spring 2018.

In addition to these changes, John Butcher, a senior merchandising executive and a Target veteran, left the company around the same time as its merchandising division was restructured. Keith Colbourn, who was hired in 2015 to be senior vice president of loyalty marketing, also left this year.

Target's C-Suite has also seen some upheaval this year. Casey Carl, its chief innovation officer, departed last month as Target has shut down various innovation-related projects and refocused on its core business.

Kavita Kumar • 612-673-4113

about the writer

about the writer

Kavita Kumar

Community Engagement Director

Kavita Kumar is the community engagement director for the Opinion section of the Star Tribune. She was previously a reporter on the business desk.

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