Home Depot Promotes Internal IT Leader to CIO as Generative AI Expansion Accelerates

Home Depot announced Thursday that Angie Brown will assume the role of EVP and CIO, overseeing technology strategy, infrastructure, cybersecurity and software development. The appointment comes after Brown spent 27 years at the home improvement retailer, progressing through virtually every major area of its IT function.

Most recently, Brown held the position of SVP of IT, where she managed technology initiatives spanning merchandising, customer experience, marketing, reliability engineering and supply chain operations. Chair, President and CEO Ted Decker praised her trajectory in a statement, saying "Her strategic vision and deep expertise have been instrumental in transforming Home Depot's interconnected experience, making home improvement more modern, more seamless and more convenient."

The leadership change marks the exit of Fahim Siddiqui, who held the CIO position since 2022 when Decker took over as CEO. Decker acknowledged Siddiqui's contributions in modernizing the company's technology infrastructure across stores, supply chain facilities and support centers.

AI Momentum Continues Under New Leadership

Brown's promotion occurs as retailers across the sector embrace generative AI to power customer-facing tools and boost employee productivity. Home Depot has been among the earliest movers in deploying these technologies.

The company developed an in-store application called Sidekick using machine learning and computer vision capabilities. The tool enables store associates to prioritize work, manage stock levels and increase operational efficiency. This initiative emerged after Siddiqui became CIO and Matt Carey transitioned to EVP of customer experience; Carey later retired and was replaced by Jordan Broggi in that role and as president of online operations.

Google Cloud has served as the foundation for Home Depot's AI strategy. The retailer first migrated its website to Google Cloud, then deepened the partnership last year to access Vertex AI capabilities for model training and data analytics.

By the middle of 2024, Home Depot was testing more than 175 machine learning and generative AI applications, according to remarks Siddiqui made at the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium. The company deployed generative AI tools for information gathering among its workforce earlier in 2024, executives disclosed during an earnings presentation.

Balancing Innovation With Security Concerns

Despite enthusiasm for AI capabilities, Home Depot has maintained caution regarding potential vulnerabilities. Siddiqui emphasized the importance of robust security measures and governance frameworks around AI deployment, noting that inadequate safeguards could expose the company to new attack vectors.

The company's wariness reflects lessons learned from past incidents. A significant data breach in 2014 resulted in substantial customer compensation costs. More recently, a mistake by a third-party vendor led to the exposure of employee information last year.

Home Depot has not disclosed specifics regarding Siddiqui's departure or his next career move.