Local tech giant Shipt has named Kamau Witherspoon as the company’s new CEO, effective March 1.
Kelly Caruso, who has been in the CEO role for the past three years, will work with Witherspoon in an advisory role during the transition period in the coming months. According to the company, Caruso will be taking a break and spending time with family after her role is completed. Caruso has said her next project will likely be a creative one, according to a Shipt spokesperson.
“Leading the Shipt business and team has been one of the true highlights of my career,” she said. “I am grateful to the team for their dedication and drive, to our retailer partners for their partnership and trust they place in us each and every day, to the Birmingham community that has embraced all of us and to Shipt shoppers who are out in communities each and every day bringing the magic.”
Witherspoon has several years of experience in high-growth industries including retail, health care and food service. He has held leadership roles with several companies and most recently was senior vice president of operations for Target. In that role, he was responsible for the company’s operational planning and prioritization, partner operations, mergers and acquisitions integration and process improvement initiatives across supply chain, stores and properties. Before that role, he was senior vice president of operational performance and readiness at UnitedHealthcare and chief restaurant excellence officer for the KFC US division of Yum! Brands leading the overall transformation of operations.
“The incredible growth Shipt has realized reflects the strength of its differentiated business model and the value its network of personal shoppers delivers to millions of customers with each and every delivery — and I couldn’t be more excited to lead the company into its next chapter,” Witherspoon said. “With momentum in our business and a talented, purpose-driven team, I’m confident Shipt will continue to stand out as the premier choice for same-day delivery for both our loyal customers and expanding network of retail partners.”
Since being acquired by Target in 2017, Shipt has grown from serving dozens of markets to now reaching nearly 300 metropolitan areas nationwide. Since 2020, Shipt said it has tripled its network of shoppers and doubled its retail partners offering same-day delivery.
