Chandhu Nair named Target’s first chief AI officer

Chandhu Nair, Target’s inaugural Chief AI Officer. Image: Chandhu Nair/LinkedIn

Target appoints Chandhu Nair as its first Chief AI Officer and Purvi Shah as SVP of User Experience to steer digital strategy

Target is launching its first Chief AI Officer role as major corporations race to integrate AI into their core operations.

Chandhu Nair joins Target from home improvement retailer Lowe’s, where he was Senior Vice President of Stores, Data, AI and Innovation.

With prior leadership roles at Staples and Gap, he brings deep retail expertise as Target aims to unify its technology approach.

Chandhu states: “My initial focus is to listen and learn: engaging with our teams and viewing the business through the perspectives of guests, team members, and partners. From there, we can prioritize areas where AI delivers tangible value.”

Target has also bolstered its leadership team by appointing Purvi Shah as Senior Vice President of User Experience.

As retailers create dedicated roles for AI governance and strategy, these positions are becoming standard across leading companies as technology reshapes global leadership structures.

Purvi Shah, Target’s new Senior Vice President of User Experience. Image: Purvi Shah/LinkedIn

Defining future executive roles

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic notes in a Harvard Business Review report that C-suite positions are being redefined, requiring organizations to promote leaders based on future adaptability rather than past experience.

As technology commoditizes traditional expertise, leadership differentiation now hinges on learning speed and strategic judgment.

Target’s latest appointment reflects this shift, as AI strategy becomes integral to core business operations and organizational structure.

Chandhu adds: “The most impactful AI stories won’t happen in a lab. They will occur on the front line—making shopping easier for guests, providing team members with better tools, enabling confident business decisions, or accelerating time-to-market for new ideas.

“Target has unique strengths in its stores, merchandising, and team. The goal is to leverage AI to enhance these strengths and support Target’s priorities, rather than creating a separate AI strategy. We should start with desired outcomes and direct technology where it makes the biggest difference.”

Expanding generative AI tools for shoppers

To realize this vision, Chandhu plans to focus on improving inventory management and enabling faster decision-making across all operations.

Target has been actively investing in generative AI to win back shoppers and investors through practical consumer applications.

The company uses an internal tool called Target Trend Brain, which helps identify emerging styles, colors, and materials based on customer online searches.

During the previous holiday season, the company launched a conversational AI program to help customers find suitable gifts for their shopping lists.

What excites me most is the opportunity to make AI real for the people who experience Target every day

Chandhu Nair, Chief AI Officer at Target

Target’s rival Walmart is also expanding AI tools across its stores and supply chain to optimize customer shopping experiences. Image: Getty Images

Retail executives across the sector are evaluating the AI transition and assessing how technology will evolve in the market over the coming years.

Major retailers are racing to integrate technology into business strategies, with Target’s rival Walmart rolling out AI tools and agents across stores and supply chains to enhance customer experience and streamline internal employee processes.

Elsewhere in the sector, Gap announced a partnership with Google Gemini earlier this year, while Best Buy has active collaborations with OpenAI and Google.

Together, the appointments of Chandhu and Purvi will support Target’s wider business transformation strategy as the company continues developing tools to strengthen its competitive position in retail.