David Relyea

Enthusiast
DISC Type : i

Director of Data Science at Target

Seattle, Washington, United States

Overview

David Relyea is the Director of Data Science at Target, where he leads the organization responsible for AI-driven product recommendations. An expert in deep learning and machine learning with a PhD in Physics from Princeton, he has led data science efforts across the retail, cybersecurity, fintech, and defense sectors.

Colleagues describe him as intelligent, professional, and an excellent communicator who is adept at balancing complex work with engaging stakeholders to build consensus.

Unique fact: David is a multi-award-winning leader, having received the 2024 Top 50 AI Award and being named one of the 100 Most Influential AI and Analytics Leaders in the USA in 2023.

Personality Overview

Non-Confrontational

Amiable & Agreeable

Story Driven

Unlike D or C types, they are convinced more by stories and testimonials.  They tend to be agreeable by nature, so take their promises with a pinch of salt.
 They prefer to build relationships rather than staying totally transactional.

Topics They Care About

AI in Retail
He leads AI-driven digital product recommendations at Target and has co-authored multiple articles on using LLMs and GenAI to enhance the customer shopping experience in 2024 and 2025.
Career Development
He focuses on growing high-performance teams and developing leaders. He was a guest on a 2024 podcast specifically to discuss how to grow a career in data science.
LLMs & GenAI
He has recently co-published technical blog posts about leveraging Large Language Models at Target for accessory recommendations and has stated that GenAI can be a huge value driver.

Media Appearances

David has no verified media appearances

Work History

9-2022
Director of Data Science at Target
10-2019 - 9-2022
Director of Data Science at BlackBerry
9-2018 - 10-2019
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Lead at Kensho Technologies
3-2017 - 9-2018
Head of Data Science at OpenX
2-2015 - 2-2017
Staff Data Scientist at OpenX

Education

1997 - 2003
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Princeton University
1993 - 1997
Bachelor of Science (BS) from Caltech

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 15 Location : Seattle, Washington, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Director of Data Science at Target
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Insights For Selling To David

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Refer to interesting customer testimonials and stress on great customer experience
  • Speak from experience about success that the product has seen with other customers
  • Invite them for a lunch or a drink/coffee

DONT's

  • Don’t be too formal with them, they trust informality more
  • Avoid overloading them with too much information
  • Don’t ask too many questions in one go, weave them into the flow

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with David is

  • Relationship and rapport are valuable for them, but so is proven product value.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from David

  • They are unlikely to say no directly.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will David move?

  • They are not very fast decision makers, even while they continue to stay engaged.
  • Can David take some risk or not?

  • They can take some low-probability risks if needed.

You And David

Personality Compatibility


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