Kester Whitaker

Kester Whitaker is an experienced executive currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Blue Bottle Coffee since December 2021. Prior to this role, Kester held significant positions at Nestlé from August 2002 to April 2022, including Head of Strategy & Transformation for Nestlé Coffee Partners and Senior Director of Strategy & Business Optimization for Nestlé USA. Kester's responsibilities encompassed formulating and implementing enterprise strategies, leading strategic initiatives for the CEO and Chairman, and driving business optimization across the organization. Earlier career experiences include roles at Cataloga and PriceWaterhouseCoopers as an Integration Consultant. Kester holds a B.A. in Economics & Political Philosophy from The University of Manchester and an MSc in Strategic Finance from the University of Liverpool.