Target names Chandhu Nair as first chief AI officer

# Target Names Chandhu Nair as First Chief AI Officer to Lead Retailer’s AI Strategy

Target Corp. has appointed Chandhu Nair as its senior vice president and first-ever chief artificial intelligence officer, signaling a major step in the retailer’s effort to integrate AI more deeply into its operations. Nair will officially begin the new role on August 24 and will be responsible for coordinating Target’s artificial intelligence strategy across multiple areas of the business. His appointment comes as major retailers increasingly turn to AI to improve efficiency, strengthen customer experiences and compete in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Nair brings more than two decades of experience across retail, technology and entrepreneurship to Target. Before joining the company, he spent more than six years at Lowe’s, where he most recently served as senior vice president overseeing stores, data, AI and innovation. His previous experience also includes leadership positions at Staples and Infosys, giving him experience across both traditional retail and technology-driven business operations.

Nair has also co-founded two businesses, including Cognitive Retail Inc., a computer-vision software company, and Merkatus Partners, a business strategy consulting firm. At Target, Nair will focus on turning artificial intelligence into practical tools that can be used across the retailer’s stores and supply chain. His responsibilities will include overseeing machine learning applications designed to improve inventory management, simplify tasks for store employees and strengthen predictive analytics.

Target executives said the company wants AI initiatives to deliver measurable benefits for frontline employees and customers rather than remaining concentrated within corporate technology teams. Nair said his primary goal is to make AI useful for the people who interact with Target every day. He emphasized that the most important AI developments will be measured by their impact on stores, employees and shoppers rather than by what happens inside research laboratories.

Before introducing major new technologies, Nair plans to spend time listening to store employees and supply chain partners. The approach reflects an effort to understand operational challenges before deploying AI systems across Target’s large retail network. Nair’s background combines technical education with business and management experience. He earned a bachelor’s degree in information technology engineering from Bharathiar University in Tamil Nadu, India, before completing a master’s degree in general management and operations at Harvard University.

His combination of technology and retail leadership experience is expected to help Target connect its existing digital capabilities with a broader AI strategy. Alongside Nair’s appointment, Target has promoted Purvi Shah, an executive of Indian origin, to senior vice president of user experience design. Shah has spent four years working on Target’s digital user experience and was involved in launching a conversational shopping experience integrated with ChatGPT.

The two appointments highlight Target’s broader effort to strengthen its technology leadership as competition with major e-commerce companies intensifies. Retailers are increasingly using AI for product recommendations, demand forecasting, inventory planning, customer service and personalized shopping experiences. Target already operates several technology initiatives, including Target Trend Brain, a system designed to help forecast consumer style preferences. Under Nair’s leadership, the retailer intends to connect such existing tools as part of a more unified artificial intelligence strategy.

The company’s decision to establish a dedicated chief AI officer position also reflects the growing importance of AI at the executive level. Rather than treating artificial intelligence as a standalone technology project, Target appears to be positioning it as a business-wide capability that can influence stores, supply chains, digital platforms and customer interactions. For Nair, the challenge will be turning that strategy into practical improvements that employees and shoppers can see.

His emphasis on listening to frontline teams suggests that Target intends to prioritize real-world applications over technology for its own sake. As retailers race to adopt increasingly sophisticated AI systems, Target’s new leadership structure could determine how effectively the company translates those tools into everyday retail operations. Nair’s appointment therefore marks more than a new executive hire; it represents Target’s effort to make artificial intelligence a central part of how the retailer operates and serves its customers.