Michael Fiddelke, Target's current chief operating officer, will succeed Brian Cornell as chief executive officer, the company said in a release. Cornell, who has served as the company's CEO since 2014, will step down and Fiddelke will take over the role on Feb. 1, 2026.

Target, which has about 1,980 U.S. stores, has been the focus of consumer boycotts since late January, when it joined rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Target CEO Brian Cornell to step down, COO announced as replacement originally appeared on Bring Me The News. Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down from his role in February, with longtime employee Michael Fiddelke tapped to replace him.