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Trust AAE Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Professional Speakers. Find a Keynote Speaker Today.
Brian Cornell

Brian Cornell

Keynote Speaker: CEO of Target

Brian Cornell Biography

As chair and CEO, Brian Cornell heads the dynamic global team behind Target, a leading omnichannel growth company in American retail. Based in Minneapolis, Target has nearly 2,000 stores covering all 50 American states, a second headquarters location in India and global supply chain and sourcing offices. Together, Target’s purpose-driven team of more than 400,000 works daily to help all families discover the joy of everyday life.

Brian joined Target in 2014 and quickly established a strategic direction that built on the company’s strengths as a multicategory mass merchandiser with an excellent reputation for its shopping experience, design expertise, brand curation and brand development. Brian and team made enormous investments in digital, data and supply chain capabilities, placing the company’s fleet of popular stores at the center both of physical shopping and digital fulfillment, a move that was considered counterintuitive and met with skepticism at the time. This and the 2017 acquisition of Shipt catapulted Target into a leadership position in same-day, store-based fulfillment services, driving the company’s strongest growth trends in its 60-year history.

At the same time, knowing that the Target team and culture were central to success, Brian Cornell spearheaded vast investments in wages, benefits, team training and development, diverse and equitable representation, and a corporate culture that helps all team members care, grow and win together.

In 2023, UCLA honored Cornell with the John Wooden Global Leadership Award for exemplifying the integrity, ethical values and leadership qualities for which Coach Wooden was known. And Columbia Business School’s W. Edwards Deming Center honored Cornell with the Deming Cup for Operational Excellence, which recognizes leaders for achieving outstanding operations and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. In 2022, Cornell was named the “Visionary” by the National Retail Federation, and Target received the top ranking on People Magazine’s 100 Companies that Care list. In recent years, CNN named Cornell the Top CEO of the Year and Target ranked second on Fortune’s Best Big Companies to Work For.

Prior to joining Target, Cornell spent more than 30 years in escalating leadership positions at leading retail and consumer-product companies. His work took him from North America to Asia, Europe and Latin America and provided insights that he leverages at Target today.

Cornell currently serves on the National Retail Federation’s executive committee and on The Business Council. He is the non-executive chairman of the board for Yum! Brands, and he previously served as chairman of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and as a director for The Home Depot and Polaris Industries.

A career-long advocate of diversity and inclusion in corporate leadership, Cornell is a board member for Catalyst and served on the Council for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The Network of Executive Women honored Cornell with the William J. Grize Gender Diversity Award, and he also received the Yale Legend in Leadership Award. Most recently, Target received the Executive Leadership Council’s (ELC) 2022 Corporate Award for its longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Cornell earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 1981 and attended the Anderson School of Management.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Brian Cornell and other top speakers and celebrities.

Brian Cornell Videos

Interview with Brian Cornell, 2023 Deming Cup Honoree
Target CEO Brian Cornell goes one-on-one with Jim Cramer
On Target with CEO Brian Cornell at Evolve Global Summit 2023

How do I book Brian Cornell to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Brian Cornell for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Brian Cornell, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Brian Cornell or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Brian Cornell for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Brian Cornell, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Brian Cornell, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Brian Cornell speak about?

Brian Cornell is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Business, Executive Leadership, Business Leadership, Business Growth, International Business, Sales, Corporate Strategy and Leadership.

Where does Brian Cornell travel from?

Brian Cornell generally travels from Minneapolis, MN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Brian Cornell?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Brian Cornell for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Brian Cornell for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Brian Cornell or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Brian Cornell is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Business, Executive Leadership and Business Leadership. Please contact us for live or virtual event fee details. Brian Cornell generally travels from Minneapolis, MN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Sara Blakely, Howard Behar and Daymond John. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Brian Cornell for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 22/08/2024.

Brian Cornell Videos

Interview with Brian Cornell, 2023 Deming Cup Honoree
Target CEO Brian Cornell goes one-on-one with Jim Cramer
On Target with CEO Brian Cornell at Evolve Global Summit 2023

Brian Cornell News

  • How do I book Brian Cornell to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Brian Cornell for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Brian Cornell, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Brian Cornell or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Brian Cornell for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Brian Cornell, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Brian Cornell, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Brian Cornell speak about?

    Brian Cornell is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Business, Executive Leadership, Business Leadership, Business Growth, International Business, Sales, Corporate Strategy and Leadership.
  • Where does Brian Cornell travel from?

    Brian Cornell generally travels from Minneapolis, MN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Brian Cornell?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Brian Cornell for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Brian Cornell for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Brian Cornell or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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BRIAN CORNELL

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All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.