Target brings experienced hands to food, beverage departments

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is bringing on talent from Walmart and General Mills to accelerate its food and beverage strategy.



Mark Kenny will join Target as VP divisional, meat and fresh prepared food where he will oversee the meat, seafood, deli, bakery and prepared food categories. Kenny joins Target from Walmart, where he most recently was the senior director of private brands, deli and bakery.

Liz Nordlie will join Target as VP product design and development for food and beverage. She will oversee the brand direction and product vision for owned brand food and beverage categories. With 27 years of brand building experience across 30 food and beverage businesses, Nordlie will lead and strengthen efforts underway with Target’s owned brand portfolio.

Nordlie joins Target from General Mills, where she spent 20 years in general management roles, building brands across cereal, snacks, meals, yogurt and baking core businesses, as well as natural and organics. Most recently, Nordlie was the president of General Mills baking division.

Nordlie and Kenny will join Target later this month.

“We have been making positive progress with our assortment, presentation and operations in food and beverage this year," Target EVP and chief merchandising officer Mark Tritton said. "With Jeff Burt’s leadership, and the investment we’re making to bring on two new seasoned executives, combined with our already talented team, I’m confident we’ll be able to go even further, faster, delivering both an experience and assortment that’s uniquely Target."