Target Corp. hired Prat Vemana as executive vice president, chief digital and product officer, effective October 31, reporting to chief guest experience officer Cara Sylvester. 

Vemana will oversee Target’s digital business, including site merchandising, user experience, digital operations and product, and Target+, the retailer’s online third-party marketplace. He will also support Target’s product teams with a holistic view to the retailer’s overall product strategy.

“Digital continues to be a major growth driver for Target, and we’re excited for Prat to bring his proven expertise in this area to an elevated role on our leadership team,” said CEO Brian Cornell. “Our team has created a digital shopping experience that is truly best in class and, under Prat’s leadership, our digital business is well-positioned to continue growing for years to come.”

“We know our guests choose Target because our shopping experience offers them a sense of joy and ease that can’t be beat, and our digital business plays an increasingly outsized role in bringing that to life for the millions of people who regularly visit our stores, website and app,” said Cara Sylvester. “With his experience leading digital businesses across consumer-facing industries and a guest-centric vision, Prat is the ideal leader to further accelerate Target’s digital growth and maximize our impact for guests, team members and our business.”

Vemana joins Target from Kaiser Permanente, where he worked as senior vice president and chief digital officer and led its enterprise product management and experience teams. Before that, Vemana held digital leadership positions at The Home Depot and Staples.

Digital currently represents 20 percent of Target’s business.