DSN Women Leaders 2014: Christina Hennington, Target

Christina Hennington, SVP health and beauty at Target, grew up in Sweden and Norway, which she credits for her strong values and work ethic. “My values and my work ethic stem from my Scandinavian roots. I strive for excellence in my work, but place a premium on integrity, fairness and treating people with respect,” she said.

Her goal for excellence is readily apparent across Target’s health-and-wellness platform. Hennington recently introduced premium skin care across 749 of the chain’s stores, and has overseen the growth of Target’s beauty adviser program from inception. 

 In addition to her ongoing impact on Target’s beauty offering, Hennington also is working on several health-and wellness solutions. “Target has a great opportunity to play a critical role in the value chain for health care,” she said. “We’re excited about the potential to partner with other organizations to deliver consumer-oriented health-and-wellness solutions. For example, we continue to strategically open new Target Clinics; Target is expanding pharmacy capabilities through health services rooms; and we now offer try-at-home options for Target Optical.”

Hennington also is currently a Henry Crown fellow from the Aspen Institute. “This inspiring group of entrepreneurs has encouraged me to feel more comfortable taking risks and making bigger, bolder decisions,” she said. The Henry Crown Fellowship Program seeks to develop the next generation of community-spirited leaders. 

Hennington, a MBA from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, spent several years prior to business school consulting, focusing primarily on supply chain optimization in association with large enterprise resource planning for information technology implementations. Additionally, she has spent time leading development teams for internet service applications and software for two smaller startups in Boston.

Hennington also serves on the board of governors for Cosmetic Executive Women. 

To view the full DSN Women Leaders 2014 report, click here.