Shipt names former Meta exec Katie Stratton as 1st chief growth officer

Target-owned grocery delivery service Shipt on Thursday named Katie Stratton its first chief growth officer. 

Stratton, who is tasked with helping to guide the company “as it matures into its next strategic, growth-focused phase,” will report to Shipt CEO Kamau Witherspoon. The Shipt growth team includes business development, business capabilities, consumer packaged goods, partner success, innovation, site merchandising and catalogue operations, according to the company. 

“I’m thrilled to be joining Shipt at a key time in the company’s growth,” Stratton said in a statement. “Shipt’s business is known for connecting consumers with exceptional service—and extending that same exceptional service to retail and CPG partners. I am excited to accelerate growth with and for our partners, expand our offerings and drive innovation across the company.”  

The move comes during a slower period for the company, which reported 150% growth in deliveries from 2020 to 2021, but just an 11% increase in 2022.

Stratton previously served in a variety of leadership roles at Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and many other companies and services. Stratton spent 11 years at Meta and most recently oversaw sales and strategy for the Facebook and Instagram national sales team. 

She is also a board member of Rutgers Business School's Center for Women in Business. 

“Welcoming Katie to Shipt isn’t just about having a growth team, it’s about being a growth company,” said Witherspoon in a statement. “Katie’s deep experience and strategic mindset will help us reach the next level. There is a large addressable market that Shipt is ideally suited to serve, and Katie will lead efforts to ambitiously and deliberately pursue opportunities to be even more of a growth engine for our partners.” 

Shipt was acquired by Target for $550 million in 2017 and provides last-mile fulfillment for more than 200 grocery retailers such as Costco, H-E-B and Meijer.