Former Safeway Exec Joins Target in Operations Role

Target Corp. has announced the appointment of former Safeway executive Anu Gupta to the position of SVP, operational excellence, effective Oct. 12.

In her new position, Gupta will work to simplify and optimize processes company-wide, and "help the retailer become more agile in anticipating and meeting guests’ needs," Target said.

She will report to John Mulligan, who was recently named the company's COO.

Bringing more than 20 years of experience to the role, Gupta previously served as VP of process and profit improvement at Michaels Stores Inc., and before that she held a series of operational roles at Safeway.

She joins Target from private equity investment firm Hellman & Friedman, where she was senior operating executive with oversight for improving business processes and productivity across its portfolio companies.

Gupta’s appointment comes as Target’s leadership renews its focus on improving operational fundamentals, particularly technology systems and platforms, supply chain and out-of-stocks and the guest experience. The retailer is investing a previously announced $1 billion in supply chain and technology infrastructure this year.

“Anu has a proven track record of increasing effectiveness across every aspect of organizations in a variety of complex businesses, including retail," said Mulligan. "She brings the right expertise to help simplify our operating processes to be more nimble and sustainable, an important early step as we focus on shoring up our core operations and giving guests an on-demand experience."

Minneapolis-based Target operates 1,799 stores.