ATLANTA, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Home Depot®, the world's largest home improvement retailer, today announced that Dr. Franziska "Fran" Bell has been named executive vice president (EVP) and chief technology officer (CTO), effective April 6. As CTO, she will lead the strategy, development and alignment of technology, product management, data and artificial intelligence (AI) for The Home Depot.
Most recently, Bell led AI transformation as chief data, AI and analytics officer for Ford Motor Company. Prior to Ford, she served as senior vice president of digital technology at BP and held executive roles at Uber and Toyota. As a globally recognized leader in technology and AI, she will drive the enterprise-wide integration of agentic AI and machine learning to create a seamless, interconnected and data-driven experience for The Home Depot's associates, DIYers and Pro customers.
"The Home Depot is a project retailer, and customers engage with us across multiple touch points - whether that's online, in our aisles or increasingly, with AI," said Ted Decker, chair, president and CEO of The Home Depot. "Fran is a respected leader in data science and AI, and she understands the power of technology to improve the customer experience. Her expertise will be invaluable as we invest to remove friction and make home improvement seamless for our associates and customers."
"I've always believed that the most powerful technology is the kind you don't notice, because it's busy behind the scenes making your life easier," said Fran Bell. "Joining a customer-first brand like The Home Depot is an incredible opportunity to put technology and AI to work where it matters most-helping homeowners confidently take on their first renovations or giving Pro contractors the digital tools they need to grow their businesses. I look forward to working with this incredible team to build even smarter ways to get the job done."
About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer. At the end of fiscal 2025, the company operated a total of 2,359 retail stores and over 1,250 SRS locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The company employs over 470,000 associates. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index.
SOURCE The Home Depot
