Brian Cornell was born in 1959 in Queens, New York City, and grew up in a fatherless household from the age of six while his mother lived on welfare due to heart disease; his ma…
Brian Cornell was born in 1959 in Queens, New York City, and grew up in a fatherless household from the age of six while his mother lived on welfare due to heart disease; his maternal grandparents primarily raised him. ◦
He graduated from UCLA in 1981 and attended the UCLA Anderson School of Management in 1991. ◦
Before Target, he was chief marketing officer and executive vice president at Safeway (2004–2007), CEO of Michaels (2007–2009), CEO of Sam's Club (2009–2012), and CEO of PepsiCo Americas Foods (2012–2014). ◦
In August 2014, Cornell replaced Gregg Steinhafel as chairman and CEO of Target; he announced stepping down in August 2025, with Michael Fiddelke succeeding him on February 1, 2026, as Cornell transitioned to executive chairman. ◦
Cornell frames his professional identity through a coaching metaphor, stating, "I feel like I'm still a coach. And I get to develop talent and design the plays." ◦
Cornell says, "Strategy is important and you've got to have great capabilities. But culture makes such a difference." ◦
He describes the binding force of Target as a "culture of care and winning together. That's what ties our company together." ◦
He maintains that "it's easy to design a strategy, but it all comes down to execution and outcomes. And ultimately the plans have to be owned by the team. It always comes down to people." ◦
He favors tight focus, saying, "Less is always more when you're really focused on three or four big initiatives." ◦
Cornell believes that "a company's success can be its own downfall," and the fix is to become "much more externally focused." ◦
He holds that "organizational success [is] rarely linked to one person" and cautions that "CEOs get more credit for results than they deserve." ◦
He argues that "you won't get far by commanding. You'll get far by inspiring and by opening doors for those around you." ◦
He advises managing energy "like you're a professional athlete...get some sleep, eat well." ◦
He notes that "we don't get days off...we have to project confidence." ◦
Cornell acts decisively "when you know it's the right thing for the business both short and long term," asserting that "you got to step up." ◦
He prioritizes focus, recalling that Target's turnaround "really came down to focus" while recovering from the data breach, managing a Canadian business that was falling behind, and addressing the state of the U.S. business. ◦
He insists on understanding rationale, stating, "We spent a lot of time making sure we understood the why—why do we make certain decisions? Why do we make certain investments? Why is culture so important?" ◦
He stresses that "having the patience and the time to talk about the whys, not just the what, is critically important." ◦
Cornell employs a coaching metaphor, saying, "I feel like I'm still a coach. And I get to develop talent and design the plays." ◦
He extends this by stating, "My role as CEO is a chance to coach again, and teach and share some new stories. After all these years, I guess I'm still on the field." ◦
He measures ownership through language, noting that "the best things happen when the pronouns change...when I hear 'here's what we're gonna do.'" ◦
He views corporate stamina through an athletic lens, advising to "Manage your energy like you're a professional athlete...get some sleep, eat well." ◦
He sees insularity as a risk, believing that "a company's success can be its own downfall" and that the remedy is becoming "much more externally focused." ◦
Cornell served as chief marketing officer and executive vice president at Safeway (2004–2007), CEO of Michaels (2007–2009), CEO of Sam's Club (2009–2012), and CEO of PepsiCo Americas Foods (2012–2014) before becoming chairman and CEO of Target in 2014. ◦
He led Target through a turnaround that required recovering from a data breach, managing a Canadian business that was falling behind, and refocusing the U.S. operation. ◦
He conducts accelerated mentorship immersion trips, describing them as "a chance to build connections, it's a chance to teach and give them new experiences." ◦
Cornell says, "I learned the importance of making fewer statements and asking more questions." ◦
He builds trust by establishing dialogue so that "people relax and realize you're there sincerely." ◦
He recounts career-shaping advice from a former boss: "Brian, you do great work, you have an amazing work ethic and you're always organized. Everything is perfect and every word's been thought out. But you should spend more time just being yourself, being genuine and staying approachable." ◦
During store immersions, he observes that "If there's any concern about how we interact, it all fades away because they realize we're all part of one team." ◦
He treats external parties as partners, noting, "I don't treat Steven and his team like they're a vendor, but like they're a partner." ◦
Cornell maintains that CEOs must project confidence and that "we don't get days off." ◦
At the same time, he advises managing energy "like you're a professional athlete...get some sleep, eat well," revealing a tension between relentless public demands and private recovery. ◦
He was told by a former boss that his work was "perfect and every word's been thought out," but was counseled to spend "more time just being yourself, being genuine and staying approachable." ◦
He states that "you won't get far by commanding." ◦
He also states that "you got to step up" when you know something is right for the business. ◦
Cornell values making "fewer statements and asking more questions." ◦
He notes that "once you establish that dialogue, people relax and realize you're there sincerely." ◦
He stresses "the patience and the time to talk about the whys, not just the what," indicating that rationale matters as much as directives. ◦
He describes external collaborators as partners, stating, "I don't treat Steven and his team like they're a vendor, but like they're a partner." ◦
He listens for collective ownership, saying that "the best things happen when the pronouns change...when I hear 'here's what we're gonna do.'" ◦
During store immersions, he observes that "If there's any concern about how we interact, it all fades away because they realize we're all part of one team." ◦