Chief marketing officer at Target resigns

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jeff Jones, executive vice president, chief marketing officer at Target, is leaving the company.

Target CEO Brian Cornell said Tuesday that Jones will be departing the company effective Sept. 9.

Various media reports indicate that Jones will be joining Uber as president of the ridesharing company.

“Since joining Target in 2012 as our chief marketing officer, Jeff Jones has modernized Target’s marketing and helped drive Target’s strategy, creating momentum for the company and positioning Target for the future," Cornell said. "He worked tirelessly to sharpen our focus on the guest and evolved our marketing capabilities to center on the important role digital plays in their lives. Under his leadership, the team has also produced a number of unforgettable brand moments from the introduction of #MoreMusic during the industry’s biggest awards night to notable moments like our 2015 holiday campaign, which exceeded all previous brand measures. These campaigns not only drove the business, but created a deep, emotional connection with our guests. Because of his many contributions, Target continues to be among the world’s most recognized and beloved brands."

Jones's areas of responsibility at Target included corporate communications and public relations, brand and category marketing, enterprise loyalty and all advertising, media and marketing operations. He was responsible for the Guest Center of Excellence and served as the architect for Target’s on-demand shopping experience.

Before joining Target in 2012, Jones was partner and president of McKinney, a Durham, N.C.-based advertising agency. Prior to McKinney, Jones was executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Gap, where he was responsible for leading marketing strategy, retail store design, store experience and all consumer communications, globally. He also managed Gap, Inc.’s gift card subsidiary, Direct Consumer Services LLC, serving as president of the division.

In addition, Jones has held leadership positions at marchFIRST, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, Leo Burnett Worldwide, and LB Works, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leo Burnett, where he served as president and chief executive officer.

Jones has been involved in a number of companies that fuel his passion for technology and entrepreneurship. He helped establish a systems integration consulting firm, which was acquired by marchFIRST; and he co-founded Motobias, a dynamic video services provider. He has advised Zoove, a mobile marketing company; experiential marketing firm ASquared Group; Point Inside, an indoor-mapping technology company; and Curious Sense, a music-based gaming company. Jones is also a member of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) board of directors, the advisory board of the Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics (COLE) at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and Marketing 50 (M50).

"Target’s marketing team is world class and we are well positioned headed into the important holiday season. Looking ahead, we will be undergoing an extensive internal and external search for our next chief marketing officer," Cornell said.