TIME Named Gap Inc. CTO Executive of the Year
The 2026 award highlights Gap Inc.'s operational integration of generative AI through its multi-year Google Cloud partnership.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
In 2026, TIME selected Gap Inc. Chief Technology Officer Sven Gerjets as an Executive of the Year. The recognition follows his leadership in implementing Google Cloud technologies to automate and refine the retailer's business processes.
Why it matters
The recognition marks a shift in retail operations toward fundamental process reengineering as a prerequisite for AI integration. By prioritizing workflow redesign before implementing generative tools, Gap Inc. aims to drive efficiency across product creation, pricing, and marketing.
The retail chain deployed Gemini, Vertex AI, and BigQuery tools to facilitate tasks including predictive fit guidance and conversational checkout. These AI applications are part of a broader infrastructure modernization effort initiated in 2025.
The players
Sven Gerjets
Chief Technology Officer of Gap Inc. who leads the company's AI-driven digital transformation strategy.
Gap Inc.
A global apparel retailer utilizing cloud-native AI to automate product design, pricing, and customer-facing workflows.
Google Cloud
The enterprise cloud division of Alphabet, providing the infrastructure and AI development platforms used by major retailers.
The details
Gap Inc. approaches AI implementation through three pillars: enable, optimize, and reinvent. Before deploying Google Cloud generative models, the company breaks down existing work tasks to identify where automation replaces or supplements traditional human-led workflows. This methodology is applied across product planning, marketing, and the customer experience, with upcoming efforts focused on developing shopping assistants for the Banana Republic and Old Navy brands.
Timeline
2025: Gap Inc. formed a multi-year partnership with Google Cloud.
2026: Sven Gerjets was named an Executive of the Year by TIME.
The Tech Race
Gap Inc.'s adoption of Google Cloud's Vertex AI signals a competitive move to bridge the gap between traditional retail planning and high-velocity digital experimentation. This deployment represents a broader industry trend where retailers use LLM-based development platforms to replace legacy static pricing and inventory models.
Shoppers will see these technological changes manifest as new AI-powered predictive fit guidance and conversational checkout features. These tools are being rolled out as part of a phased expansion intended to reach brands including Banana Republic and Old Navy.
The takeaway
The success of this retail strategy hinges on the company's commitment to re-architecting workflows rather than treating AI as a superficial feature add-on. Future benchmarks to watch include the rollout of specialized shopping assistants at Banana Republic and Old Navy.
Further reading
For more on the deployment of large-scale machine learning, explore our coverage of Artificial Intelligence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TIME.
