When Target named Michael Fiddelke CEO in February 2026, the leadership changes he announced went beyond a standard promotion. Target eliminated its chief commercial officer role and consolidated merchandising authority into a single position, naming Cara Sylvester, previously chief guest experience officer, as the sole chief merchandising officer overseeing product development, assortment design, and partner collaborations.
Lisa Roath, formerly chief merchandising officer for food, essentials, and beauty, moved up to chief operating officer, taking end-to-end control of supply chain, stores, and merchandising execution. That reshuffle captures a pattern now playing out across corporate America: Companies are consolidating sales, marketing, growth, and operations under fewer executives with sweeping mandates organized around business outcomes.
In October 2025, Microsoft promoted Judson Althoff from chief commercial officer, where he helped build Microsoft’s customer and partner solutions into one of the company’s primary growth engines, to CEO of its commercial business. The move placed sales, marketing, and commercial operations under one leader with a mandate to accelerate enterprise AI adoption.
