CMO Peer Advisor Kathy Reilly

I’ve always believed that growth starts with truly understanding the consumer. I spent much of my career at Target, which was a wonderful place to be a student of the consumer. I learned that the best marketing comes from knowing what people want and need, and building the brands, products, and experiences that meet them there.

My experience spans Fortune 50 retail, a family-owned spirits company, and consulting work across a wide range of brands. At Target, I led reinvention across food and beverage, pets, beauty, and healthcare. That work included launching Target’s largest owned brand, repositioning the pharmacy and healthcare portfolio, and developing the company’s first B2B marketing program. I also led Target’s enterprise-wide master brand corporate campaign, which played a key role in reversing negative year-over-year growth and returning the company to positive growth.

As Head of Marketing and Innovation at Prestige Beverage Group, I was hired to build a consumer marketing function from the ground up inside a sales-driven organization. I designed the team, put the tools and processes in place, revitalized underperforming brands, and integrated acquired brands into the portfolio, all within a highly regulated, distribution-driven industry.

What energizes me most is reinvention, and helping an organization see what marketing can really do for the business. I love bringing cross-functional teams together around a common goal. I’ve often found myself at the hub of the wheel, and that’s where strategy turns into real momentum. Outside my corporate work, I bring that same mix of business perspective and hands-on leadership to mission-driven organizations like Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Northside Achievement Zone, and Walker Art Center. Whether working with businesses or mission-driven organizations, I’m energized by bringing people together, challenging what’s possible, and helping organizations grow.