When it comes to supporting Target’s strategy and growth and keeping our business operating smoothly, our legal affairs and compliance teams play important roles — from working with our business partners to deliver results, shaping our policies to strategically fit our business, navigating through an evolving regulatory landscape and modeling our company’s ethical standards.
Today we announced that Amy Tu will lead that work as our new chief legal and compliance officer. As the newest member of our leadership team, she’ll oversee all of Target’s legal, compliance and corporate governance matters.
Amy brings a wide range of experience — from serving in senior legal roles at The Gap and Walmart, to leading Tyson Foods’ international business and before that, serving as its chief legal officer, and helping build The Boeing Company’s international law team. Over the years, she’s become an expert in areas including law, compliance, litigation, government affairs, internal audit, food safety, quality assurance and corporate affairs. Along the way, she led teams of approximately 19,000 with operations in 16 countries and served customers in over 140 countries.
We asked Amy to tell us more about herself, her leadership style and what she’s most looking forward to with her new team.
Welcome to Target! What inspired you to take on this new role?
Thanks so much! First, I’m so honored to be joining this incredible team. The strength of Target’s brand, the vibrancy of its culture and the reputation of its legal affairs function were all factors that went into my decision to take this role. After most recently leading a global business, I’m thrilled to take on this very special role and bring all I’ve learned in various businesses and functions to support Target’s strategy.
I’m also a retailer at heart. The industry holds a special place for my family and me — my husband and I have had amazing retail experiences in our careers, and his father and my mother worked in retail as well! I love being a student of the fast-paced world of retail, from how consumers’ shopping habits are changing to the increasingly critical role of digital. I’m excited to be a part of helping Target navigate this exciting future, and I know our legal affairs team has a big role to play.
What are three words you’d use to describe your leadership style?
Open, transparent and authentic. I want every member of my team to feel like they can come to me with their ideas, passions and questions, and I want them to know that their voices matter. For me, that all starts with a trusting relationship. Knowing what drives, excites and motivates them, and creating a two-way feedback loop, are important to fortifying the foundation for this best-in-class team. That’s how we build trust and ultimately work together to come up with the best solutions for Target. And I know Target’s strong culture of ‘care, grow and win together’ is the right place for this kind of environment to really come to life.
You’ve had such an incredible career journey. What’s one lesson that stands out?
I’ll never forget the experience that taught me how to truly take charge of my career, and how important leaders who listen to new ideas are. I was working at a large, highly complex global company when my husband got the opportunity to move to Europe for work. I approached leadership with the idea of creating a new European branch of our law team. Luckily, they were open to the idea and decided to put trust in me.
For months, I pounded the pavement in a new country, learning as much as I could about our European partners and how a new capability could help our business. They were some of the toughest months of my career! But my work was the seed of a new global law affairs practice group that still operates today. It would never have happened if I hadn’t believed in myself to blaze my own trail, and if my leaders hadn’t said ‘yes.’
What do you do in your free time?
I love to cook! Growing up, food was such an important part of my family’s life, and I come from a long line of chefs. I’m currently updating my mom’s cookbook she created as a fundraising project in the 1970s, adding ingredients and modifying slightly to update the traditional Chinese dishes. I know I’ll be adding many of Target’s popular Good & Gather products to my daily kitchen rotation.
What something you always have in your Target cart?
This answer comes courtesy of our two rag doll cats, Miami and Valentino — Tempting Tuna Greenies are always in my cart. Personally, I also can't resist Haribo gummy bears, especially the special edition mix with Bullseye! I think I’ll buy another bag or two to celebrate becoming part of Team Target.
