Target top merchant snubbed in power ranking

The world is full of powerful women, but a recent listing of the 100 most powerful by Forbes indicates that, with a few exceptions, the publication doesn’t think many are involved in the retail and consumer packaged goods world.

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi was ranked fourth followed by Kraft CEO Irene Rosenfeld at number 10 on a list that was otherwise dominated by media personalities, celebrities, politicians and government officials. As for female retail executives, well there were exactly three.

Jin Sook Chang, co-founder and chief merchandising officer at the nearly 500-unit specialty apparel chain Forever 21 made the list at 39, as did TJX Companies CEO Carol Meyrowitz at 73 and HSC CEO Mindy Grossman at 89.

Target EVP merchandising Kathee Tesija did not make the list even though she leads a merchandising organization whose decisions regarding assortment, pricing and promotion have a huge impact on the retail industry. Along those same lines, other notable omissions were Sam’s Club EVP merchandising Linda Heffner and Walmart International CFO Kathy Smith. Walmart founder Sam Walton’s daughter Alice Walton made the list at 85.

CPG companies were also under represented on the list as other notable executives included Campbell Soup Company CEO Denise Morrison who was ranked 80th and Johnson & Johnson vice chair Sheri Johnson who was ranked 84.

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