Target appoints Lisa Roath EVP and COO, effective Feb. 15, 2026

Target promoted Lisa Roath to executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective Feb. 15, 2026, signaling a shift to stronger merchandising-led operations under new CEO Michael Fiddelke. The move, disclosed in a Form 8-K dated Feb. 6, 2026 and publicly reported Feb. 10, sets leadership and compensation terms that matter to managers and hourly workers amid ongoing restructuring.

The filing shows Roath, 48, has worked at Target since 2006 and will receive an annual base salary of $775,000. She will remain an at-will employee with no specified term for the COO role and will continue to be eligible for the same target bonus opportunity as other members of Target’s leadership team, stock-based awards under Target’s 2020 Long-Term Incentive Plan, and other leadership benefits.

Roath’s promotion formalizes responsibilities that have grown steadily over the last several years. Her recent roles include Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer of Food, Essentials & Beauty from January 2025 to the present; Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer from July 2023 to January 2025; and Senior Vice President, Merchandising - Food & Beverage from July 2020 to July 2023. Those assignments give her multi-category merchandising experience that the company says will support operational priorities.

CEO Michael Fiddelke framed the appointments as a push to accelerate growth, saying, “Cara and Lisa are proven leaders who deeply know our business and can drive change that delivers results,” Fiddelke said. Industry commentary noted continuity with Prior merchandising and marketing leaders moving into operational roles; as Stocktitan observed, “Target is elevating Lisa Roath, a 20-year company veteran with recent merchandising and marketing leadership roles, to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer effective February 15, 2026, with an annual base salary of $775,000. Her background across food, essentials, beauty, and marketing suggests continuity in merchandising and brand strategy, while formalizing her operational remit.”

The leadership changes come alongside workforce actions that affect non-store employees. Target has announced cuts of roughly 500 positions in a bid to reverse declining sales, consolidating the number of districts and shifting about 100 jobs from district offices and about 400 from the supply chain; the company says no store roles are affected. Newly named executive vice presidents, including Roath and Cara Sylvester as Chief Merchandising Officer, will report directly to Fiddelke. Target is also conducting an external search for a chief guest experience and marketing officer.

Outgoing chief commercial officer Rick Gomez will move to an advisor and non-executive officer role under a formal agreement from Feb. 15 through Apr. 17, 2026, retaining his current base salary and target bonus opportunity during that transition; some coverage characterized this as Gomez stepping down as CCO. Gomez has been with Target 12 years and most recently served as chief commercial officer for one year and eight months.

For employees, Roath’s elevation signals that merchandising priorities will be tightly linked to day-to-day operations as the company reshapes its field structure and supply chain. Workers and managers should watch how reporting changes and district consolidation are implemented during the transition period and expect senior leadership to frame near-term operational targets tied to Fiddelke’s growth agenda.