Home Depot Names Franziska Bell as CTO to Lead AI Integration

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4.3.2026

Quick Facts

Home Depot named Franziska Bell as CTO to lead AI and technology strategy, starting April 6, 2026
Bell previously led AI transformation at Ford Motor Company and held executive roles at BP, Uber and Toyota
The appointment follows Home Depot’s expansion of its Magic Apron AI suite and partnership with Google Cloud

Home Depot named Franziska Bell as its chief technology officer to lead the company’s AI strategy and enterprise-wide integration of agentic AI and machine learning.

Bell will report to CEO Ted Decker and officially starts April 6, 2026. She most recently led AI transformation at Ford Motor Company as its chief data, AI and analytics officer.

Bell brings experience from BP, Uber and Toyota, plus a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in Theoretical Chemistry and High-Performance Computing. She recently received the Chief Data Officer of the Year Award at MachineCon New York.

“Fran is a respected leader in data science and AI, and she understands the power of technology to improve the customer experience,” Decker said. “Her expertise will be invaluable as we invest to remove friction and make home improvement seamless for our associates and customers.”

The appointment comes as Home Depot expands its Magic Apron AI suite, a proprietary set of generative AI tools that serves as a digital expert for customers. The system uses Home Depot’s product database and expertise to help with home improvement projects.

At NRF 2026, Home Depot and Google Cloud announced new agentic AI tools for real-time customer assistance. For professional customers, the company launched an AI-powered materials list feature that generates comprehensive project lists from voice, text or uploaded product information.

Home Depot is equipping thousands of associates with Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise platform to automate business processes. At the company’s Store Support Center, specialized agents automate workflows in seconds.

The retailer posted fiscal 2025 sales of $164.7 billion, up 3.2% year-over-year, with comparable sales up 0.3%. Adjusted diluted earnings per share reached $14.69, down 3.6% year-over-year.

For fiscal 2026, Home Depot expects total sales growth of 2.5% to 4.5% and comparable sales growth of flat to 2%. The company operates 2,359 retail stores and over 1,250 SRS locations across North America with more than 470,000 associates.

Bell’s hire follows February job cuts of 800 roles at Home Depot’s Atlanta support center, mostly in technology. The company faces market pressures from low housing turnover and high mortgage rates that have reduced demand for home improvement projects.