Cara Sylvester

Cara Sylvester is the executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Target Corporation, one of the largest retailers in the United States. Sylvester oversees teams responsible for the retailer's design- and style-driven curation strategy, including assortment, product design, owned brands, partner collaborations, and merchandising capabilities. She has been recognized by Forbes as one of the Most Influential CMOs and by Adweek as a brand leader.

Sylvester joined Target as senior manager of corporate strategy and later transitioned to the merchandising team as a buyer. Her experience includes roles such as senior vice president of merchandising in Home, vice president in Beauty and Dermstore, and senior director in planning for Housewares and Stationery/Holiday. As vice president of Beauty, Sylvester led the launch and evolution of Target's Beauty Concierge program, a service model unique among mass retailers. She also led Target's Home business, contributing to sales and share growth while expanding the company's digital presence in response to evolving consumer behaviors.

In her role as chief guest experience officer, Sylvester guided the transformation of Target's omnichannel shopping experience by integrating stores, digital, generative AI, and social media and marketing capabilities. Under her leadership, Roundel developed into a multi-billion-dollar retail media business and became a significant profit contributor for Target. Sylvester's merchandising expertise spans digital, loyalty, marketing, and revenue growth across multiple categories. As Target's merchandising chief, she advances the company's authority in style and design through merchandising capabilities, product development, assortment design, and partner collaborations.

Sylvester is a keynote speaker and industry expert, addressing topics such as marketing, sales, female leadership, women in business, art and design, beauty, and strategic leadership. She has spoken at major industry events, including a panel at the National Retail Federation convention, where she discussed the importance of emotional connection across every touchpoint of the Target brand experience. Sylvester serves on the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum advisory council. Before joining Target, she worked at Deloitte Consulting in Chicago. Sylvester holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern.