Brian Cornell

Brian C. Cornell (born 1959) is an American businessman who was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Target Corporation from 2014 to 2026. In August 2025, he announced that he would step down as CEO effective February 1, 2026, to become executive chairman. He is also non-executive chairman of Yum! Brands.

Early life Brian Cornell was born in 1959 in Queens, New York City. He grew up in a fatherless household from the age of six, and his mother was living on welfare due to heart disease. As a result, Cornell's maternal grandparents mostly raised him. He attended the UCLA Anderson School of Management in 1991. He was CEO of Michaels from 2007 to 2009, of Sam's Club from 2009 to 2012, He is the chairman of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and has been a board member since 2015.

In August 2014, Cornell replaced Gregg Steinhafel as chairman and CEO of Target. In 2019, he was named CNN's "Business CEO of the Year".

In 2021, Cornell publicly stated his commitment to programs at Target to support diversity, equity, and inclusion after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. He said. "I recognize that it's time to take it to another level, and that as CEOs, we have to be the company's head of diversity and inclusion."

In 2022, Cornell received the National Retail Federation's "Visionary" award, given each year to "an outstanding retail industry leader".

In 2022, Target announced that its board of directors had eliminated the company's mandatory retirement policy that would have forced the CEO to retire at age 65.

In 2023, Cornell's total compensation at Target was $18.1 million. He earned a higher annual bonus due to the company's improved profits, though his overall compensation dropped.

On August 20, 2025, Target announced that its COO, Michael Fiddelke, will replace Cornell as CEO starting on February 1, 2026.

Memberships and affiliations Cornell is on the board of advisors of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He is on the board of directors for Catalyst and was a member of the museum council for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Cornell is also a member of The Business Council.

Personal life

He is married to Martha Cornell. They have two children. In 2021, they made a $10 million donation to Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Florida.