Starbucks ethically sources and roasts high-quality arabica coffee. They are known as the leading roaster and retailer of specialty coffee globally. 

Starbucks purchases, roasts, and serves award-winning coffee to its millions of customers. Their food and beverage offerings include Italian-style espresso beverages, cold blended beverages, seasonal drinks, hot breakfast, lunch, snacks, a bakery, and premium teas. Additionally, they sell merchandise like tumblrs and mugs as well as gift cards for special occasions. In some stores around the world, they sell alcoholic drinks. 

In everything they do, they always live by their mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.

Founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker, Starbucks began as a single store front in Pike Place Market. Originally, they sourced their beans from Peet's Coffee & Tea. Eventually, Alfred Peet stopped supplying his own beans and began to train a new Roastmaster for the company. Following this transition, they sold the company in the 1980's to Howard Schultz who had Italian Coffeehouse aspirations. Originally a coffee bean store, Howard set out to make Starbucks an espresso-based coffeeshop and led much of the expansion of the franchise. With shifts in leadership over time, a decade was spent growing market share and defining corporate social responsibility. 

Starbucks went on acquire several operations as part of their strategy such as Seattle's Best Coffee, Torrefazione Italia, and The Coffee Connection. Today, Starbucks operates in the US, Canada, UK, Europe, and Asia with about 32,000 stores worldwide.

Consumer Goods

Food & Beverage

Restaurants

Starbucks

Jen Frisch is currently the SVP of HR for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in North America. Prior to this role, they served as Vice-President of Human Resources for Corporate Functions at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Jen has also held HR positions at Teavana and [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in the Pacific Northwest and Western Mountain regions. In their current role, Jen is responsible for leading all HR functions for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in North America, including HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Employee Relations, Training, Compensation, Benefits, and Payroll.

Jen Frisch has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master's of Arts in Human Resources/Industrial Relations from the [University of Minnesota](/org/university-of-minnesota).

Jen Frisch

Barbara Spiering is the Vice President of Marketing Technology at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Barbara has over twenty years of experience in technology and data management. 

Spiering began their career at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in June 2018 as the Director of Global Store Development Technology. In this role, they were responsible for implementing solutions and supporting platforms for managing global store design. Barbara oversaw significant upgrades to technology platforms that aligned with store concepting, new builds, and remodeling. 

In June 2017, Spiering became the Director of EIM and Data Services at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). In this role, they were responsible for leading a team of engineers and business systems managers. Barbara also created a digital ticketing system with scannable RFID technology for in-store repairs. This system increased information accuracy and decreased time to resolution, improving store operations and quality of service. 

Spiering has been instrumental in modernizing the global store development technology footprint to improve stability and optimization for volume. This has enabled revenue maximization during critical sales weeks while eliminating tech debt.

Barbara Spiering graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from [Central Washington University](/org/central-washington-university). Barbara then went on to earn their Master of International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Barbara Spiering

Varun Rawat is currently the VP, People Technology (Career, Benefits & Payroll, Labor Scheduling) at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Prior to this, they were with [Cigna](/org/cigna-corporation) as the Sales & Policy Administration Product Lead from March 2012 to June 2014. There, they were responsible for re-engineering the sales, policy administration and billing business processes and associated IT systems to enable [Cigna](/org/cigna-corporation)’s Group Insurance business to launch innovative products in the voluntary insurance space and gain market share with new customers. Varun managed a budget of $30MM and defined the strategy, scope, budget and multiyear implementation roadmap for delivering custom build products supporting global sales, policy administration and billing. Varun has also worked with Triple Point Technology as a Sr. Project Manager for Application Design & Development from February 2011 to March 2012. Prior to that, they were with [PepsiCo](/org/pepsico) as an ERP SAP Solutions Sr. Manager - International from March 2007 to February 2011.

Varun Rawat has a MBA from the Krannert School of Management at [Purdue University](/org/purdue-university) and a second MBA in Global Management from TIAS School for Business and Society. Varun also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from [Western University](/org/western-university) and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from the same school. Varun is certified by (ISC)² in CISSP and by 11352 in Project Management Professional.

Varun Rawat works with Denise Nelsen - SVP, U.S. Operations, Kelly Bengston - SVP, Chief Procurement Officer, Global Sourcing, and Janet Landers - SVP Business Technology. Varun Rawat reports to Sara Trilling, EVP & President, North America.

Varun Rawat

Tyson Avery is senior vice president, deputy general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Tyson joined the company in December 2019, and is responsible to the Audit and Compliance Committee of the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Board of Directors for championing the partner experience through Our Mission & Values and mitigating compliance risk by empowering ethical behavior and reducing misconduct.  

Prior to his time in the company, Tyson was the Senior Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer and Director of Internal Audit for [CBRE](/org/cbre), Inc. In that position, he was the senior leader responsible for the global ethics and compliance and internal audit programs, which included both domestic and international responsibilities.   

Before [CBRE](/org/cbre), Tyson served as the Director of Ethics and Compliance of ITT Defense. In this role, he built an integrated and sustained ethics and compliance program for a $6 billion organization in the aftermath of one of the largest trade prosecutions in U.S. history, including over $100 million in fines and remediation.   

Preceding his corporate experience, Tyson spent ten years as an active duty officer and judge advocate serving in the U.S. Marine Corps where he held positions of increasing responsibility, including prosecuting and defending felony level criminal cases, serving as one of the first Geneva Convention magistrates in Iraq, and serving the President of the United States as the sole military attorney in the White House Counsel’s Office. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service during Operation Iraqi Freedom and retired as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve with 23 years of combined active and reserve service.   

Tyson holds a bachelor’s degree from the [University of California, Riverside](/org/university-of-california-riverside) earned law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law. He was named Young Military Lawyer of the Year in 2004 and UC Riverside’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2018. He enjoys spending time with his family, running, traveling, and surfing. His favorite beverage is a grande skim latte.  

Tyson Avery

Nick Allen is currently the VP & CFO, EMEA at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Prior to this, they were the Chief Financial Officer at [Vision Express](/org/vision-express-uk-limited) from April 2018 to April 2019. Nick has also been the Regional Finance Director at GrandVision NV from January 2012 to April 2018.

Nick has extensive experience in finance and has been pivotal in leading various acquisitions & divestments, driving improvement in business control standards and leading development of Finance talent management globally. Nick has also successfully turned around businesses as Interim CFO in Germany/Austria and Poland.

Nick Allen completed their undergraduate degree at the University of St Andrews before going on to complete their MBA at Cass Business School. Nick's focus within their MBA was strategy and finance.

They work with Jason Dunlop - SVP & COO [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), EMEA, Michelle Chin - VP, EMEA, Marketing, Product & Digital Experiences. Nick Allen reports to Duncan Moir, President, [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) EMEA.

Nick Allen

Rachel Ruggeri was named executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2021.  In this leadership role, Rachel is responsible for the global finance function for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) which includes developing and executing the financial strategies that enable the long-term growth of the company. 

Rachel joined [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in 2001 as a member of the accounting team and had the responsibility in her first year of helping to launch the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Stored Value Card which has since become a significant vehicle of growth for the company.  During her tenure, she has held a variety of finance positions, largely within the US Business, and was promoted to vice president of Corporate Finance and Planning in 2010.  From 2014 to 2016, she was vice president of Finance in support of the US Business and from there, she was promoted to senior vice president of Global Retail in 2016.  Most recently, she served as the senior vice president of Americas with responsibility for the retail portfolio across the segment including company-operated and licensed/franchised stores. Her proudest moments, however, come from the many opportunities she has had to grow and develop talent within the organization.  Though numbers are her business, her passion is in working alongside the talented and inspiring partners within the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) organization.

Rachel began her career in 1992 as a community college instructor and later took a role as an accountant in the public sector supporting a local municipality.  She worked in a variety of sectors prior to joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) and over the years including leadership roles in finance supporting social service organizations and within the food industry processing Idaho’s famous potatoes and supporting a well-loved, local pancake and bake mix brand. She holds a B.A from [University of Puget Sound](/org/university-of-puget-sound) and an MBA from Washington State University.  When she is not at work, Rachel can be found spending time with her husband and her dogs (Vizslas) enjoying running, hiking, and the many outdoor activities that the great Northwest has to offer.  She is passionate about animal rescue and supports the Utah/Idaho Vizsla Rescue and the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, as well as many other great rescues in the area and across the country.  Her favorite [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) beverage, which she enjoys at least twice per day, is a grande iced, triple, espresso with extra, extra ice.

Rachel Ruggeri

Lisa Kwiatkowski Erdely is the SVP, Finance, Americas at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Prior to joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Lisa worked at Amazon.com as the Finance Manager, Corporate Development from June 2010 to March 2012. Before Amazon, Lisa worked at Rothschild as an Associate in their M&A division from August 2006 to May 2009. Prior to Rothschild, Lisa spent a year with the NJ Watershed Ambassador Program as an AmeriCorps from September 2003 to May 2004. Lisa started their career at [Morgan Stanley](/org/morgan-stanley) as an Analyst in Investment Banking from July 2000 to July 2003.

Lisa Kwiatkowski Erdely is a graduate of NYU Stern School of Business where they earned their MBA in finance, accounting, and entrepreneurship. Lisa also holds a B.S. in accounting and finance from NYU Stern.

They work with Greg Smith - VP, Finance, Technology, Marketing, Product, Loyalty, Helena Scamehorn - VP, Finance, US Retail/Store Development/Siren Retail, and Aswin Krishnan - SVP, Corporate and Financial Services. Lisa Kwiatkowski Erdely reports to Rachel Ruggeri, EVP & CFO.

Lisa Kwiatkowski Erdely

Kelly Bengston is senior vice president, chief procurement officer. In this role, Kelly is responsible for enhancing [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) enterprise-wide functional strategic sourcing and supplier relationships, creating consistent global sourcing processes, developing a sourcing talent management program and building a values-based approach to working with suppliers across all categories of the business.

Kelly has held numerous leadership positions during her 8-plus years with [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), including direct and indirect sourcing, store development, and commercialization.  Most recently, Kelly served as vice president of [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Global Supply Chain’s Strategy & Deployment team, a new team created under Kelly to support [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) supply chain’s aspirations of becoming digitized, strategically aligning resources against priorities and building capabilities through long-term capacity planning and supply chain intelligence.

Kelly attributes much of her success over the years to her ability to create flexible, high-functioning, and creative teams that unlock possibilities through shared value relationships, cross-functional collaboration, autonomy, and supply chain management excellence.

Kelly holds a B.S. in Management from [Central Washington University](/org/central-washington-university).  She also gives back to her alma mater by serving on the university foundation board and chairing their board development committee.

Prior to joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Kelly gained broad experience in packaging, product development, manufacturing, and project management at Macy’s, Bensussen Deutsch, Cranium and Hasbro. She enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Her favorite [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) beverage is Nitro Cold Brew.

Kelly Bengston

Deb Hall Lefevre joined [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) as executive vice president, chief technology officer in May 2022. In her role, she leads the tech function with the mission of ensuring stores run smoothly each and every day while delivering winning digital partner and customer experiences.  

Prior to joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), she was the Global Chief Technology Officer & EVP for Couche-Tard/Circle K where she was responsible for the global technology and digital strategy and execution across a network of approximately 15,500 locations and 125,000 employees. She also serves on the board of directors of [Wintrust Financial](/org/wintrust-financial).

Deb has a long track record of delivering impactful results through high performing teams, industry leading strategies, large scale, global digital & information technology initiatives and strong collaboration. 

She began her career at [Motorola](/org/motorola) in 1989 and held a variety of Information Technology and eCommerce roles. In 2001, she joined McDonald’s Corporation where she held several positions in Information Technology including CIO of the U.S. Segment and Corporate Vice President, Global Enterprise Solutions and Business Transformation. Deb holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Processing from [Southern Illinois University](/org/southern-illinois-university). 

Deb Hall Lefevre

Brady Brewer was named [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) chief marketing officer in 2020, leading the marketing, digital, brand and product functions that ensure the customer is at the heart of everything [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) does.

In this role, Brady leads the development and execution of marketing plans, management of the food and beverage portfolio, digital customer experience innovation, creative and brand management, data analytics, and consumer insights.

Most recently, Brady served as senior vice president of Digital Customer Experience for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), with a focus on delivering new innovations that made the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Experience continually more effortless and delightful for customers – from product discovery to ordering, from payment to pick-up, delivery and beyond.

Since 2001, Brady has held various [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) leadership roles that have helped define the modern [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) experience, elevate the brand and drive rapid sales growth around the globe.

This includes global leadership roles such as chief operating officer for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Japan, leading store operations as well as brand and marketing strategy, and senior vice president, Marketing and Product for the company’s China and Asia Pacific region.

Prior to [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Brady held marketing and product management roles with technology companies, including Avenue A/Aquantive (now Microsoft), Visio Corporation (now Microsoft) and Microsoft’s European Operations Center in Dublin, Ireland. Brady has a B.A. in Business Administration from the [University of Washington](/org/university-of-washington).

Brady is a certified [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Coffee Master, a distinction that demonstrates his passion for coffee and a duty that has taken him to the remote coffee farms of Costa Rica and Sumatra. This experience left him with a profound appreciation for how the values of [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) result in a sustainable future for coffee agriculture and coffee farming communities.

Outside of work, Brady enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the outdoors. He has competed as an athlete at a world championship level, including racing in more than 10 Ironman triathlons.

Brady Brewer

Jake has been with [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) for +10 years. He started with the company as a transportation analyst and worked his way up to his current position.

Jake Werbeck

David Byers is the Managing Director, Corporate Counsel at Starbucks. David has over 20 years of experience as a shareholder and associate attorney in some of the top law firms in the United States. David has provided strategic legal advice to startup and established companies in their establishment, development, and expansion of U.S. and international franchise programs, and their related commercial transactions and corporate governance. David has also specialize in supporting commercial litigation, with a focus on companies in franchise and distribution industries as well as banking. In addition to their work as an attorney, David has also held various leadership roles in their previous firms, including General Counsel, Chair of Loss Prevention Committee, Chair of Attorney Hiring Committee, and Chair of Associate Review Committee.

David Byers attended Garfield High School and then [Claremont McKenna College](/org/cmc) for their Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government. After that, they attended Duke University School of Law for their Doctor of Law.

David Byers works with Anju Rao - SVP, Global Food Safety, Quality, & Regulatory, Tyson Avery - SVP, Deputy General Counsel & Chief Ethics And Compliance Officer, and Jennifer Kraft - SVP, Deputy General Counsel. David Byers reports to Zabrina Jenkins, Acting EVP, General Counsel.

David Byers

May W. Jensen is the Vice President of Labor Relations for North America Retail at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). May has been with the company for over six years, starting in 2012 as the Regional Director of Partner Resources.

May has a long history in Human Resources, starting their career as the Corporate Employee Relations Manager at Ameristar Casino in 2001. May then spent four years as the Director of Human Resources at the W New York Union Square before moving to Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2007. At Starwood, they held the position of Corporate Senior Human Resources Manager for one year before being promoted to Director of Human Resources at the 5-star, 5-diamond resort in south Laguna Beach. May left Starwood in 2010 to join The Light Group as their Vice President of Human Resources. 

May has been married for 20 years and has two teenage daughters. In their free time, they enjoy spending time with their family, traveling, and reading.

May W. Jensen has a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Hospitality Administration/Management from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and a degree in Hospitality Administration/Management from the Australian International Hotel School.

May W. Jensen

Cara Beck is the VP of HR at Starbucks Coffee Canada. Cara has over 25 years of experience in Human Resources and has worked for companies such as [Eddie Bauer](/org/eddie-bauer-llc) and Gap. Cara is a strategic thinker who is able to align business goals with performance effectiveness. Cara is also an expert in conducting internal investigations related to harassment, discrimination and violations of company policy.

Cara Beck has an Associate's Degree in Merchandising from Brooks College and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and Operations from Washington State University.

Cara Beck

Brooke O’Berry is senior vice president of digital customer experience at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), and works to ensure that the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) customer experience is effortless and delightful. In this role, she is responsible for digital ordering including product discovery and customization, mobile order and pay, digital store formats and third-party delivery, as well as [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Card’s U.S. business, payments experience and fraud prevention. 

Brooke joined the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Loyalty team in 2012 and has held a variety of positions within digital ventures at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), including personalized marketing, business development and acquisition and engagement. In her role leading Loyalty, Brooke led the strategy for partnerships and [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Rewards loyalty program redesign, including the relaunch of the program in 2016.  

Prior to [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Brooke worked at [United Airlines](/org/united-airlines) and Marriott, as well as AIG Global Real Estate.  Brooke attended the [Cornell University](/org/cornell-university) School of Hotel Administration where she received her B.S. in hotel administration and an MBA from [Cornell University](/org/cornell-university)’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.  

Brooke lives in Seattle with her family and enjoys spending time outside and traveling. Her favorite beverage is a Tall Flat White.

Brooke O’Berry

Luigi Bonini is senior vice president, Product Experience for Starbucks. He leads the Food and Beverage Product teams, Product Portfolio and Pricing Strategy teams, the R&D and Engineering groups and Tryer Center. The group’s primary responsibilities are in the management of the product portfolio and product and equipment innovation for the U.S. Retail business and the global consumer packaged goods (CPG) business. This collective group has generated many notable successes over the years, including a wave of industry-leading handcrafted cold coffee beverages: Iced Shaken Espresso, Cold Brew, Nitro, Starbucks Refreshers™ and signature cold foam beverages such Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. In CPG channels, products include Starbucks Doubleshot®, Starbucks BAYA™ Energy and ready-to-drink Starbucks® Nitro Cold Brew; in the food category, Sous Vide Egg Bites and breakfast sandwiches; and equipment innovations such as include Mastrena and new espresso and cold brewers.

Prior to joining Starbucks, Luigi gained more than 20 years of experience in product innovation in the food industry with some of the world’s most iconic brands. An honors graduate in food science from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, Luigi began his career in quality assurance in the food ingredients sector of the Tongaat Hulett Group in South Africa. He followed this with a move into product and process development with Kraft Foods in its European Research and Development headquarters in Munich, Germany.

In 1996, he joined Yum! Brands as technical manager for the Middle East region, and moved to Singapore in 2000 to lead quality assurance and new product innovation for the company’s Asia franchise business unit. In 2006, he became Vice President, Food Innovation & Technology for the Pizza Hut brand, a global role based in Dallas, Texas. Later, he led innovation globally for both the Pizza Hut & KFC brands. Among his achievements at Yum! was establishing a council of Power Innovators, a group of leading innovators from around the world to drive product and platform innovation.

Luigi was born and raised in Scotland and currently lives in Seattle, Washington. He is fluent in German, French and Italian and enjoys competitive swimming in his spare time. His favorite Starbucks beverage is a Flat White.

Luigi Bonini

Michael Conway is group president, International and Channel Development where he has responsibility for leading Starbucks retail growth and operations in 80 markets across Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa and growth for the Global Channel Development business which consists of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Ready to Drink (RTD) businesses, as well as strategic partnerships including those with Nestlé, PepsiCo and other key business partners.

Michael brings international experience and Licensed Store leadership to his current role and is known for his strategic planning and operational excellence and as a leader who lives our Company Mission and Values.

Most recently, Michael served as executive vice president and president, International Licensed Markets where he was responsible for the growth, development and consistency of operations across more than 8,000 international stores. He has held a range of leadership roles at Starbucks, including executive vice president and president, Starbucks Canada, executive vice president and president for Starbucks Licensed Stores business for the United States and Latin America and executive vice president and president of Starbucks Global Channel Development.

Before joining Starbucks in March 2013, Michael was Worldwide President of McNeil Nutritionals, a division of Johnson & Johnson that marketed innovative nutritional consumer products like SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener, LACTAIS, VIACTIV and BENECOL. Before being appointed Worldwide President, Michael held several key roles at McNeil leading the company’s business units in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Earlier in his career as Vice President of Marketing at Campbell Soup Company, in the U.S. soup group Michael oversaw the company’s $1 billion soup franchise and launched the most successful new product platform in Campbell Soup’s history – microwavable cups and bowls. During his 10 years at Campbell Soup, Michael held numerous strategic and marketing positions, including two years based in Brussels with responsibility for European marketing strategy. Prior to joining Campbell Soup, Michael worked at Kraft General Foods in marketing, and at Bain & Company, a global business consulting firm.

Michael holds a B.A. from Duke University, where he was captain and an All-America player on the lacrosse team and holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He serves on the Board of Directors of McCormick & Company, Incorporated.

Michael Conway

Janet Landers is senior vice president of Business Technology for Starbucks. Janet is responsible for managing and providing strategic direction for the technology supporting Channel Development, Global Supply Chain, Partner Resources, Store Development and Finance & Accounting. She also oversees Enterprise QA for Global Technology and leads the technology team for Starbucks Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

Janet joined Starbucks in December 2001 as a project manager for Supply Chain Technology. She was one of the leaders responsible for deploying technology at Starbucks roasting plants in Nevada, South Carolina, and Amsterdam. Subsequently, as director of Supply Chain Technology, she was responsible for the development and execution of the technology strategy supporting Global Supply Chain Planning and Manufacturing.

In June 2008, Janet was promoted to the role of vice president of Supply Chain Technology and was responsible for the strategic roadmap and delivery of technology to the Global Supply Chain. Shortly thereafter her responsibilities were expanded to include the technology for Finance & Accounting, Store Development, Partner Resources (human resources) and the newly established Channel Development business unit. Responsible for deploying technology to all regions of the world, Janet has a strong global understanding of the business.

Prior to joining Starbucks, Janet spent three years delivering technology solutions in the telecommunications and airlines industries as a principle consultant at Ciber, a global information technology firm. In addition, Janet gained 14 years of experience in supply chain leadership in the biotechnology, software and printing industries at Cambridge Biotech and Quebecor.

Janet graduated from Ireland’s University College Galway with a B.A. in Commerce. With her husband and daughter, she enjoys being a tourist and is particularly fond of visiting her native country, Ireland and the amazing national parks of the United States. She is a Starbucks Coffee Master who enjoys a triple tall Americano. 

Janet Landers

John Boline is currently the VP of Store Design at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Prior to this, they were a project architect at GGLO, where they worked on the design and documentation of several mixed use condominium projects. John also spent five years as a project designer at MulvannyG2 Architecture, responsible for the design, documentation and coordination of civic, office and retail projects in the US, Mexico and China.

John Boline has a Bachelor of Architecture, BA Environmental Design from North Dakota State University. John is certified from the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses - Architectural Examiners in Registered Architect, Idaho. John is also certified from the Nevada State Board of Architecture in Registered Architect, Nevada. Finally, they are certified from the Washington State Department of Licensing in Registered Architect, Washington State.

They are on a team with and Catherine Anderson - VP, Store Development. Their manager is Scott Keller, SVP, Store Development and Design.

John Boline

Andy Adams is senior vice president, Store Development for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). He is responsible for leading the Store Development and Design teams focused on [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) growth while innovating and elevating the in-store customer experience.

He previously served as the senior vice president of Store Development and Design for China and Asia Pacific, leading and building the capability to open more than 1,100 stores from 2011-2015. During the same period, he led the team to establish [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) China Design and Concept Studio, driving innovation in a variety of store formats including three flagship locations and 50 [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Reserve stores.

Andy started with [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in 2004 in Toronto, Canada. He grew up in Canada and completed an advanced B.A. in Economics from the [University of Manitoba](/org/university-of-manitoba). Shortly after graduating, he began his career in real estate, becoming President of the Winnipeg Commercial Real Estate division as well as a tenant representative for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Coffee.

Andy has been married for more than 20 years and has three sons. As a family, they enjoy supporting the boys’ love of sports and adventure holidays.

His favorite espresso beverage is [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) double tall soy latte and a handcrafted pour-over of any single-estate, naturally-processed coffee roasted at the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room.

Andy Adams

Sandra Stark is senior vice president, Data, Analytics & Insights, and Business Operations for Starbucks. Sandy leads the development and execution of product strategy (beverage, food, merchandise, coffee, equipment), product portfolio management, and pricing. In addition, Sandy is responsible for the product strategy for Starbucks Reserve, which includes our Reserve Store segment as well as our Starbucks Roasteries.

Sandy joined Starbucks in 2002 and has held numerous roles in the category and marketing organization. Sandy led the Starbucks Card business in 2004 and was responsible for building distribution outside of Starbucks and growing the business-to-business sales team. Sandy also led the Starbucks Food business from 2008 to 2012, during which time she led the effort to change every recipe across Starbucks food offering; up leveling the quality of Starbucks food and removing all artificial ingredients. She also led the Blended, Refreshment and Tea teams, launching the Starbucks Refreshers platform, and integrating Teavana into Starbucks stores.

In 2012, she took on a newly formed role as vice president of Global Innovation in the Global Marketing organization. She led the work to develop the company’s coffee and beverage innovation pipeline with products that ensured Starbucks beverage leadership through groundbreaking offerings such as nitro cold brew. She was promoted to senior vice president, Product in 2015.

Prior to joining Starbucks, Sandy was a consultant with McKinsey and Company in both the Chicago and London offices and left as an Associate Principal after six years. Before McKinsey, Sandy was an engineer with both General Electric and General Motors.

Sandy holds a MBA from the University of Chicago and B.S. degrees in Engineering and Statistics from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Sandy starts every morning off with a short Flat White and her favorite brewed coffee is Guatemala Casi Cielo.

Sandra Stark

Angie Bohrer Rezai is the Group Marketing Manager for Brand Marketing at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Angie has over ten years of experience in marketing, with a focus on product management and integrated marketing. Angie has worked for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) for over five years, in various marketing roles. Prior to [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), they worked as the Marketing Director for North America at BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP, where they were responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies for retail stores, partner shops, wholesalers, and product licensees.

Angie Bohrer Rezai has a Professional Designation in Visual Communication from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and a Bachelor of Science - BS in Business Administration, Marketing from the University of the Pacific - Eberhardt School of Business.

Angie Bohrer Rezai

Sarah Garrard is a marketing executive with over a decade of experience in the industry. Sarah currently serves as the Director of Owned Channel Strategy & Operations at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), a position they have held since July 2021. Prior to this, they served as the Group Marketing Manager, Marketing Operations at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) from November 2018 to July 2021, where they oversaw 50+ campaign deployments per week across email, app and web. 

Sarah has a deep understanding of both marketing and technology, which has allowed their to navigate seamlessly between marketing and technology teams. Sarah is known for their ability to build relationships, document best practices, and educate cross-functional partners. Sarah is also an expert in vendor management, contract negotiation, and product feedback.

Sarah Garrard has an associate's degree in biology from Cascadia Community College. Sarah also has a certificate in Foundations II - Ruby from Code Fellows.

Sarah Garrard

Lori Neubauer is a Partnerships Marketing Director at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Lori has over 20 years of experience in marketing and has previously worked as a Director, Consumer Experiences and Partnerships at Microsoft. Lori has a passion for coffee and believes that [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) is the best place to get coffee. Lori is also a strong advocate for gender equality and is always looking for new ways to empower women.

Lori Neubauer has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the [University of Dayton](/org/university-of-dayton).

Their manager is Kyndra Russell, SVP, Marketing. They work with Ryan Butz - VP, Loyalty Strategy & Marketing, Jon Groebner - Director, Social & Content Marketing, and Joshua Fine - VP, Marketing Operations & Digital Transformation.

Lori Neubauer

Jessica Glassman

Jon Groebner is the Director of Social & Content Marketing at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Jon has over 20 years of experience in marketing, strategy, and creative content. Jon was previously the Co-Founder of Big Hat Creative, VP of Social & Content Marketing at [Razorfish](/org/razorfish), and Creative Content & Product Development at [Hasbro](/org/hasbro). Jon has also worked at Cranium, Inc. and Amazon.com. Jon has a passion for marketing and helping businesses grow their online presence. Jon is an expert in social media marketing, content marketing, and digital strategy.

Jon Groebner's educational career began with a Bachelor of Arts in English Lit from [Gonzaga University](/org/gonzaga-university). Jon then went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing from the [University of Montana](/org/university-of-montana).

Their manager is Kyndra Russell, SVP, Marketing. Jon Groebner works with Peter Furnish - VP Marketing, Category & Digital Experience, Canada, Angie Bohrer Rezai - Group Marketing Manager, Brand Marketing, and David Chiang - Director Marketing, Category and Digital Experience, LATAM.

Jon Groebner

David Chiang is the current Business Leader & Director of Operations for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in Latin America & the Caribbean. Prior to this, they served as the Director of International Marketing, Business Development & Strategy for Dr Pepper Snapple Group from October 2015 to June 2017. In this role, they were responsible for providing strategic marketing direction to international marketing teams, bottlers, distributor partners and all advertisement, promotion and digital agencies in various international markets. Chiang also drove the strategic development and market execution of integrated global and regional marketing programs for major brands such as 7UP, [Sunkist](/org/sunkist), Canada Dry, Snapple, Mott’s and Hawaiian Punch.

From June 2012 to October 2015, Chiang served as the Regional Marketing Manager for KFC Latin America & Caribbean for Yum! Restaurants International. And from June 2010 to June 2012, they were the Global Marketing Manager for Pizza Hut International also with Yum! Restaurants International. Chiang began their career with [PepsiCo](/org/pepsico) in February 2009 as the Marketing Manager for Quaker Innovation before moving on to their role with Yum! Restaurants International.

David Chiang has a MBA in Marketing from Weatherhead School of Management at [Case Western Reserve University](/org/case-western-reserve-university), a BS in Advertising from Instituto Peruano de Publicidad, and a BS in Business from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. David also has a certification from [IDEO](/org/ideo) in Design Thinking - Insights for Innovation.

David Chiang

Joshua Fine

Greg has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. Greg started their career as a financial advisor at [Morgan Stanley](/org/morgan-stanley) in 1999. In 2001, they joined [Capital One](/org/capital-one) as a Senior Financial Analyst. Greg held this position for four years before joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in 2005.

Greg Smith has a Bachelor of Arts in Business with a focus in Finance from [Oregon State University](/org/oregon-state-university).

Greg Smith

Neil Littler is a current Director of Product Marketing at Starbucks. Prior to joining, they served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Tim Hortons International from 2016 to 2018. Littler began their career in marketing with A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., where they served as Senior Marketing Manager from 2010 to 2014. Neil then moved on to [Yum! Brands](/org/yum-brands), where they were Senior Brand Manager for [Pizza Hut](/org/pizza-hut) and KFC from 2005 to 2010. In 2014, they joined [Marks and Spencer](/org/marks-and-spencer) as Senior Brand & Marketing Manager for Foods, a position they held until 2016.

Neil Littler has a Bsc in Business Studies with Marketing from [Lancaster University](/org/lancaster-university).

Neil Littler

Sarah Harris is the current Marketing Director, EMEA at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Prior to this, they held the position of Marketing Services Manager at [Virgin Active](/org/virgin-active-limited) from September 2013 to December 2015 where they were responsible for the production and management of National and Global Campaigns, content management of the member portal, product marketing lead on new launches, procurement lead on strategic projects, eCRM campaigns, creative studio management, agency management and strategic projects.

From November 2012 to July 2013 Sarah was the Marketing Manager at Audley Retirement and before that they held the position of Marketing Project Manager at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Coffee Company from January 2005 to March 2012.

Sarah's first Marketing Manager role was at [Majestic Wine](/org/majestic-wine) in France from July 2000 to November 2002 and they then went on to be the Local Marketing Manager at Homebase Ltd from May 2003 to April 2005.

Prior to working in marketing, Sarah was a CSM/ MTS at WH Smith Ltd from January 1995 to December 1998.

Sarah Harris has a Bachelor of Arts Honors in Sarah'story from [Lancaster University](/org/lancaster-university) and a CIM Professional Certificate from the London School of Marketing. Sarah also attended The Grammar School in Guernsey.

Some of their coworkers include Neil Littler - Head of Marketing, Product & Digital, UK. Their manager is Michelle Chin, VP, EMEA, Marketing, Product & Digital Experiences.

Sarah Harris

Michelle Chin is currently the VP for Customer Strategy, Marketing, Product, Digital & Sustainability in the EMEA region at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Prior to joining the company, they were the Head of Marketing & Product Development, NA at Godiva Chocolatier from January 2008 to August 2016. From November 2004 to November 2006, they were the Director of Marketing at ClubMom. Michelle also worked as the Senior Brand Manager at Schieffelin & Somerset (joint venture [LVMH](/org/lvmh)/Diageo) from May 2000 to October 2004 and at [Unilever](/org/unilever) as the Associate Brand Manager from June 1997 to June 2000. Additionally, they were the Senior Brand Manager at SKYY Spirits from November 2006 to December 2007 and at Prudential Realty Group as the Investment Analyst from January 1993 to December 1996.

Michelle Chin attended [Wellesley College](/org/wellesley-college) for their BA and Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management for their MBA in Brand Management.

Michelle Chin

Carl Mount, senior vice president of Logistics and U.S. Retail Supply Chain, is responsible for leading [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) global logistics strategy with a focus on demand and supply planning, transportation, distribution, and retail store delivery operations for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) business in the Americas.  Carl also serves on the leadership team for company-owned stores in the United States. 

Prior to joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in 2017, Carl was the Global Chief Supply Chain Officer for KFC Global, a division of [Yum! Brands](/org/yum-brands). He has held international leadership roles for [The Coca-Cola Company](/org/the-coca-cola-company) supporting beverage operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America.  He spent the first 10 years of his career in the soft drink industry working for [PepsiCo](/org/pepsico) in a variety of U.S.-based operational leadership roles. While in management consulting, Carl held roles as a Principal with PRTM Management Consultants (now PwC) and Managing Director for Resources Global Professionals.

Carl is a graduate of the Marshall School of Business at the [University of Southern California](/org/university-of-southern-california), with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration concentrating in Operations Management and Information Systems. He also holds an MBA from the Leavey School of Business at [Santa Clara University](/org/santa-clara-university). Carl sits on the advisory board for the supply chain management programs at both his alma maters.

Carl was born and raised in Latin America, holds dual citizenship, and speaks fluent Spanish.  He is an avid lacrosse dad, supporting his daughter who is currently an NCAA student-athlete at Whitman College. Carl’s favorite [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) drink is a Grande Cold Brew. 

Carl Mount

As senior vice president and president of Starbucks Latin America and Caribbean, Tom Ferguson is responsible for delivering the Starbucks Experience to over 1,500 stores across more than 20 markets. Starbucks has sourced high-quality arabica coffee from the region since opening its first café in 1971 and has had a retail presence since 2002.

Tom began his career with Starbucks as a regional director in Southern California in 2005 before joining the Licensed Stores team as director of operations in the Pacific Northwest and Western Mountain markets. Following this, Tom took a time-limited assignment as regional vice president in Los Angeles prior to taking a one-year assignment as regional director in Manhattan/New York Metro. He was then promoted to Southeast regional vice president and then supported the Los Angeles/Central California region. Tom then presided over the West Division as senior vice president, where he was a key member of the U.S. Operations leadership team, as well as leading the U.S. and Canada Partner & Asset Protection organization. Most recently, Tom was senior vice president, International Retail Operations, supporting operations outside of the United States and Canada. In this role, Tom built and developed a team dedicated to strengthening operations across more than 80 international markets.  

Prior to joining Starbucks, Tom spent the majority of his career with Kinko’s as a field leader, holding positions from branch manager to market sales and operations director. He also held a leadership position with Office Depot.

Tom holds a B.S. from Ohio University.

Tom Ferguson

Shannon Leisz

Caroline Ternes is the VP of Retail Implementation for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in Canada. Caroline has over 25 years of experience in Human Resources and Sales Management. Caroline started their career with the T. Eaton Company in 1989 as a Sales Manager and was promoted to Human Resources Manager in 1993. Caroline was with the T. Eaton Company for 10 years before moving to [Starbucks](/org/starbucks).

Caroline Ternes has a degree in Diversity & Inclusion from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Caroline also has a degree in Global Strategy and Leadership from the University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business. Additionally, they have a degree in Financial Studies / Strategic Planning from The University of British Columbia. Lastly, they have a degree in Marketing from the [British Columbia Institute of Technology](/org/british-columbia-institute-of-technology).

Caroline Ternes reports to Sara Trilling, EVP & President, North America. Caroline Ternes works with Michelle Burns - SVP, Global Coffee & Tea, Michael Conway - EVP & President, International Licensed Stores, and Janet Landers - SVP Business Technology.

Caroline Ternes

Chris Tarrant is senior vice president, Retail Store Development and Design for Starbucks. He is responsible for leading all facets of store development in the United States and Canada, focusing his teams on growth, convenience and the in-store customer experience. Chris also serves on the leadership team that oversees the operation of company-owned stores in the United States. 

Chris has extensive real estate and development experience in both the United States and Canada. He joined the company in 2016 as vice president, Store Development in Canada, and was part of the Canadian leadership team.

Prior to joining Starbucks, Chris was executive vice-president, Business Development for Oberfeld Snowcap Inc., one of the largest privately held boutique retail real estate brokerages in Canada. He was responsible for all new business development and led the team responsible for servicing all of Snowcap’s food and beverage clients and represented tenants in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia. Prior to Oberfeld, Chris held positions with a number of major brands including McDonald’s, Panera Bread, and tech retailer The Source. 

Chris is a graduate of Ryerson University in Toronto, with an honors Bachelor’s of Arts in applied geography and economics. He grew up in Canada and still maintains a residence there along with his Seattle home. He and his wife Eileen are empty nesters with their two children living in Toronto. Their pup Lucy rounds out the family. Any outdoor activity fills Chris’s cup followed closely by a love of cooking and entertaining family and friends. Chris’s favorite beverage is any one of Starbucks bold coffees in a coffee press or as a pour-over.

Chris Tarrant

Kyndra Russell is senior vice president, Marketing. Kyndra is responsible for leading the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Marketing organization including brand, product, loyalty, partnerships and licensed store marketing as well as marketing operations for creative production, publishing, development and digital transformation. 

Kyndra joined [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in January 2017 leading the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Rewards Loyalty Program and Partnership Marketing, working across the organization to weave together the best methodologies, practices, and tools into comprehensive, customized strategies to elevate the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) loyalty program.

Prior to [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Kyndra worked for Starwood Hotels & Resorts leading Digital, Loyalty & Partnership Marketing for the Americas division. She was also responsible for designing, developing and leading Starwood’s Field Marketing program. Kyndra also has agency experience, having worked at Avenue A, which grew and transformed digital strategy in the early days of digital media. As an Account Director she managed clients across a spectrum of industries including retail, telecom and technology.

Kyndra graduated from [Central Washington University](/org/central-washington-university) in Ellensburg, Wash. with a B.A. in marketing. She lives in Seattle and enjoys time out of the office with her husband, son, and daughter, often spending time watching the kids play ‘all the sports’ or in the mountains, hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. She enjoys traveling with her family and appreciates the opportunity to explore new cultures, cuisines and languages and spends her downtime reading and connecting with friends. Coffee is an everyday ritual in her household, with a brewed dark-roast coffee and Americano among her favorites.

Kyndra Russell

A 22-year partner, Mark has held numerous key leadership roles in the U.S. as well as in the UK and Asia. Over the past four years, Mark has been responsible for the growth and expansion of the Asia Pacific region across 14 markets. Under his leadership, the region has grown to 3,352 stores and has further elevated our partners through initiatives focused on coffee engagement, sustainability, and elevating women in leadership.

Mark first joined [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in 1995 as a project manager in finance and planning. His early [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) experience included managing retail systems for North America operations, driving cross-business priorities with Japan and serving as regional director for the Pacific Northwest region in the U.S., including [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) first store in Seattle’s Pike Place market.

In 2007, he relocated to Australia as the vice president and managing director of the market and in 2009 he moved to London to serve as the vice president, Operations for the U.K. and Ireland.  In 2012, Mark accepted the position of U.S. regional vice president for Licensed Stores, based in Seattle and worked in a variety of U.S.-based Operations roles, including interim regional vice-president of operations for the New York Metro market. During 2014, Mark relocated with his family to Hong Kong to serve as senior vice president, general manager China Asia Pacific.

Mark is passionate about leading by example and sharing his experiences with partners (employees). He is committed to bringing the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Mission and Values to life at the Hong Kong Support Center, throughout the region and to those he meets every day.

Prior to [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Mark worked for Dow Corning Corporation in a variety of finance roles. 

Mark holds a B.A. in Accounting from Indiana University, and a MBA in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management (Arizona State University) and attended the General Management program at [Harvard Business School](/org/harvard-business-school).

Mark Ring

Anju Rao is senior vice president of Global Food Safety, Quality, & Regulatory (GFSQ&R) for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Coffee Company. In this role, she is responsible for building and renewing food safety and quality capabilities to support growth, customer satisfaction, and loyalty.

Anju has been a [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) partner for the past five years, and previously served as vice president, Beverage Innovation, within the company’s Global Product R&D organization. While leading this team, she integrated retail and channel strategic initiatives focused on enterprise priorities, including accelerating both cold beverage innovation and sustainability.

Prior to joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Anju gained two decades of international leadership experience in the food industry, including time at both [Campbell Soup Company](/org/campbell-soup-company) and Royal FrieslandCampina N.V. She currently serves on the Board of Advisors at the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety.

Anju earned her Ph.D. in Food Technology from [Clemson University](/org/clemson-university). She lives in Seattle with her husband and two children and enjoys travel with family. Her favorite [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) beverage is a Short Blonde Flat White.

Anju Rao

Denise Nelsen is senior vice president, U.S. Operations. In this role, Denise leads the regional vice president team that oversees store operations across the US.

Denise began her career with [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in 1997 as a barista in the Chicago market, looking for a role using her degree in human resources and marketing.  She quickly fell in love with the culture and became a store manager in the spring of 1998 and moved to Indianapolis the next year to open the first [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) store in that market. In 2000 Denise was promoted to district manager, where she spent almost six years supporting several markets including Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Oklahoma. Denise later became a field implementation manager, then promoted to regional director of operations.

After four years as a regional director, Denise moved to Seattle and became the director of business operations for U.S. Licensed Stores. Prior to her current role, she served for three years as regional vice president for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Western Mountain Region, living in Denver and leading operations for the seven states around the Rockies.

Denise holds a bachelor’s degree from [Purdue University](/org/purdue-university) in West Lafayette, Indiana.  Denise was recognized in 2009 by the Indiana Business Journal “Top 40 Under 40” and in 2014 by the National Diversity Council of Colorado “Most Powerful and Influential Women.” She was also recognized in 2017 by Fortune “Most Powerful Women- Next Generation.”

Denise Nelsen

Takafumi Minaguchi is representative director and chief executive of Starbucks Coffee Japan (the Japanese legal entity of Starbucks Corporation), a position he has held since June 2016. As Starbucks first market outside of North America, Japan has been the foundation for the company’s international growth and its 1,200 stores represent a key strategic market in the China and Asia Pacific region. 

Taka’s leads Starbucks efforts to expand its presence in Japan and make a positive difference in the communities the company serves. He is involved in Youth Connection, which invites Japanese high school students to lead a community activity in Starbucks stores. Starbucks Japan also supports an education fund for students who lost their parents in 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

He joined Starbucks Japan in 2014 as chief operating officer, leading the operations, store development and the marketing and category organizations.

Prior to Starbucks, Taka held a number of executive roles in 13 years with luxury retailer Louis Vuitton Japan. Most recently, he was the President and CEO of Loewe Japan/Korea, from 2010 to 2014, where he was instrumental in transforming the Loewe brand, developing innovative store concepts and creating processes to elevate the customer experience.

Taka received his B.A. from Sophia University in Tokyo and earned an MBA in Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy. 

Takafumi Minaguchi

Jennifer Kraft is senior vice president, deputy general counsel and corporate secretary for Starbucks. Jennifer joined Starbucks in September 2020 and is responsible for leading a team of partners who provide legal support for securities and corporate governance, licensing, and mergers and acquisitions. In her role, Jennifer also works closely with the Starbucks Board of Directors.

Jennifer has extensive experience in corporate governance and securities law, working closely with public company boards of directors. Immediately prior to joining Starbucks, Jennifer served as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at United Airlines in Chicago. In her role at United, Jennifer advised United’s Board of Directors on complex corporate governance and securities law matters and also had oversight responsibility for a cross-functional team within United’s legal department that supported functions including securities and corporate governance, commercial contracts, government contracts, corporate finance, fleet, alliances, real estate and United’s loyalty program.

Prior to joining United, Jennifer served as Vice President and Corporate Secretary at Aon Corporation, and previously was a senior associate at Latham & Watkins. 

Jennifer received her bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University where she was a full scholarship member of the women’s volleyball team and an Academic All-American, and her juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.

Jennifer currently serves as a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago and the Children at the Crossroads Foundation.

Jennifer enjoys traveling (especially with her daughter), cooking, and, as a native Wisconsinite, cheering on the Green Bay Packers. Her favorite Starbucks beverage is a matcha green tea latte in the winter and an iced chai tea latte in the summer.

Jennifer Kraft

Scott Keller is senior vice president, Store Development & Design for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Asia Pacific. Scott leads a team of specialists for growth strategy and the development and design of stores in 15 dynamic and diverse markets across the Asia Pacific region. Through a unique store development approach grounded in analytics, insights, and a commitment to locally relevant design, Scott’s team has increased store count across the Asia Pacific region by more than 60% during his five years in this role, with each store uniquely tailored to the neighborhood it serves.

As one of [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) fastest-growing regions, Asia is on the leading edge of development and design for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), exemplified by the one-of-a-kind [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Dewata Coffee Sanctuary in Bali and recently-expanded Coffee Experience Center, which celebrates Indonesian coffee and the company’s longstanding connection with local coffee farmers. Other regional highlights include flagship stores in Seoul, Bangkok, Gyeonggi, Bangalore, Hong Kong, and Singapore; more than 130 Reserve® Bars which set the stage for connections over rare coffees; as well as expansion into dozens of cities in India and Southeast Asia.

Scott has over two decades of experience leading retail development and operations throughout Asia. Prior to returning to [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in October 2016, he led the development of Apple’s retail stores across the region, and established and led Nike’s company-owned retail store portfolio and online store in China.

In 2004, Scott became one of the Hong Kong Support Center’s (HKSC) earliest Coffee Masters. He currently serves as the executive sponsor for the HKSC Pride Alliance.

A California native, Scott graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.A. in architecture. Since 1995, he has lived across Asia, including in the cities of Shanghai, Seoul and Bangkok. He presently resides in Hong Kong with his wife, daughter, and puppy.

Scott loves travel, photography and keeping up with technology and design innovations. His favorite beverage is an Oat Milk Ristretto Latte and he enjoys exploring unique [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Reserve® coffees.

Scott Keller

As senior vice president and president of Starbucks Asia Pacific, Emmy Kan oversees 13 diverse and dynamic markets, driving retail store growth and development, operational excellence and digital innovation in Starbucks fastest-growing global licensed region. In partnership with regional leaders, she leads the growth of the business alongside our people and planet ambitions to continue to drive meaningful progress for the communities Starbucks serves.

Emmy started at Starbucks in 2001, and has advanced Starbucks brand and business in the Asia Pacific region from its earliest days. She has helped grow Starbucks regional footprint tenfold, increasing from around 300 stores in nine markets to over 4,000 stores across 13 markets, and more than 200 partners at the company’s Hong Kong Support Center today.

An inclusive leader with a proven track record of servant leadership, Emmy strongly commits to leading with humanity, elevating the teams she leads and helping them be successful to drive business results. In the last two decades, Emmy had taken on numerous roles that have created a positive impact for Starbucks partners and the organization. She commenced her Starbucks journey in the finance function and was most recently chief customer officer, where she led Product & Marketing and Operations. Prior to that role, she was the chief corporate services officer, where she initiated and set up robust systems and frameworks for the Finance, Partner Resources, Safety & Resilience and Technology functions in the region. Before joining Starbucks, Emmy started her career in finance management at General Electric.

A trusted mentor and an executive sponsor of Empowering Women agenda in the Asia Pacific region, Emmy is committed to helping women across Starbucks achieve and succeed in leadership roles. Her advocacy has led the region towards reaching equal gender representation at leadership levels and 100 percent gender pay equity across the organization, a goal Starbucks is committed to achieving both regionally and globally.

Emmy holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Hong Kong. She lives in Hong Kong with her husband and son and enjoys reading and listening to music. At home, Emmy enjoys Starbucks Sumatra coffee, or a short soy latte when she is at a Starbucks store.

Emmy Kan

Zabrina Jenkins is acting executive vice president and general counsel for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), leading legal and regulatory affairs, global security, and ethics and compliance for the company. Additionally, Zabrina serves as an executive champion to the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Black Partner Network and an advisor to the diversity committee for the Law & Corporate Affairs department. A [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) partner since 2005, Zabrina previously held roles as senior vice president, deputy general counsel, interim chief ethics and compliance officer, lead legal advisor for Teavana, and was a core member of the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) 2018 Philadelphia incident crisis management response team.

Prior to joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Zabrina was an associate at the law firm of Garvey Schubert Barer in Seattle. During her tenure with the firm, Zabrina focused her practice on commercial litigation matters, including labor and employment law.

Zabrina is an active volunteer in both legal and civic organizations. Zabrina serves as an independent board director for Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. (NASDAQ: ROIC). Appointed by Washington governor Jay Inslee in 2019, Zabrina is a Trustee for [Central Washington University](/org/central-washington-university) and a member of the Enrollment Management subcommittee. She also serves on the advisory boards of the Washington Leadership Institute and Loren Miller Bar Foundation. Zabrina previously served on the Board of Directors for Artist Trust and [Central Washington University](/org/central-washington-university) Foundation, and on the advisory board of the [Central Washington University](/org/central-washington-university) College of Business.

Zabrina received her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from [Central Washington University](/org/central-washington-university), Master of Science degree from Syracuse University School of Education and Juris Doctor cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum 2019-2020 Fellows Program. 

Zabrina Jenkins

Lori Digulla is senior vice president and general manager for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Canada. Lori has the honor of serving 23,000 partners who are passionate about creating Best Moments for each other and millions of customers every week, in over 1500 company operated and licensed stores across Canada.

Lori joined [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in 2017 to lead Canada’s Supply Chain organization. She led sourcing, planning, commercialization, and logistics to support rapid growth, speed of innovation, and a “frictionless delivery” for stores and customers. Importantly, Lori quickly became known for leading with intention, care for partners, and curiosity.

Prior to joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Lori had designed and enabled transformational change in large retailers across multiple industries in the United States, Japan and Canada.  Lori served as Lowe’s Vice President Supply Chain, where she led the company in its first international expansion and subsequent exponential growth in the Canadian market. She consulted for 10 years with [Accenture](/org/accenture) (Anderson Consulting & Kurt Salmon Associates), where some of her most exciting work included designing Supply Chain networks to support rapid growth and mergers and acquisitions, including supporting the retail expansion of Nine West Shoes, and optimizing the distribution operations to support the success of Food Lion & Wegmans Food Market in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Lori is an engineering alum from Queen’s University and shares her life in Toronto with her husband, an avid entrepreneur, and two young daughters. A lifelong athlete, Lori is passionate about encouraging the next generation of kids to have a healthy lifelong relationship with sports & fitness. In support of this, Lori has served as a board member of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, and launched and sold a California based company called Active Kids that promotes positive play and physical development in kids.

Lori Digulla

Michelle Burns is executive vice president of Global Coffee, Tea and Cocoa for Starbucks. In this role Michelle drives the company’s strategy for delivering a diverse portfolio of high-quality, ethically sourced coffee, tea and cocoa to partners and customers around the world. She leads a global team of industry experts responsible for sourcing, developing and roasting coffee; advancing coffee R&D and innovative farming practices; developing and executing programs, initiatives and partnerships to support Starbucks people and planet positive goals thru the lens of farmers and coffee, tea and cocoa communities; and driving partner and customer engagement, education and experiences to bring coffee storytelling to life – all with the aspiration of ensuring a sustainable future of coffee for all.

Michelle is a 26-year Starbucks partner, with much of her career focused on business development and relationship management, driving strategic retail relationships across numerous segments through licensing and foodservice channels. She previously led the Branded Solutions team and has been a key member of the Starbucks Channel Development and Licensed Stores leadership teams.

Contributing more broadly to Starbucks culture, she is the executive sponsor for the Starbucks Women’s Impact Network (WIN) and also serves on the board of The Starbucks Foundation. Outside of the company, Michelle is a member of the Women’s Foodservice Forum and serves on the Board of Directors for FareStart and the National Coffee Association.

Prior to joining Starbucks, Michelle worked in sales and distribution in the Natural Foods Industry where she first found her passion for coffee. After an expedition to the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard Norway in 2018 and her many conversations with farmers around the world over the course of her career, that passion has grown to include a desire and sense of responsibility to care for the future of our food supply and the many people who grow it.

Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from The University of Iowa.

Michelle Burns

Dennis Brockman is senior vice president, chief inclusion & diversity officer. Promoted to this role in March 2021, Dennis is responsible for leading [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) global inclusion and diversity strategy and guiding [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) journey to advance racial and social equity for our partners (employees), our community and our society.

A 13-year [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) partner, Dennis most recently served as regional vice president for the Midwest region and has been a key member of the North America Leadership Team, representing US Retail partners. Dennis began his career at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) as a district manager in the Kansas City metropolitan area and was later promoted to regional director, where he oversaw company-operated and licensed stores in Chicago.

Dennis holds a degree in business administration and management from Emporia State University. Dennis, his wife and two children live in Chicago, Illinois. He’s passionate about spending time with family and friends, supporting his church and community – and gets his energy boost from exercise and his favorite drink, a [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) cappuccino.

Dennis Brockman

Frank Britt is the executive vice president, chief strategy and transformation officer at Starbucks. In this leadership role, he is responsible for long-term strategic planning in service of helping inspire and nurture partners, customers and the communities Starbucks serves.

Frank is a seasoned executive leader who has led large-scale revitalization efforts in companies across technology services, education, media, supply chain and consumer product sectors. He’s passionate about helping people reach their dreams and for companies to reach their full fiscal and social potential.

Before joining Starbucks in April 2022, he was the chief executive officer of Penn Foster, a social mobility and employment enablement platform, and the leading workforce development provider for opportunity youth and adult learners, and progressive talent focused employers. Frank has a longstanding commitment to helping provide educational access and training opportunities to front-line employees, meeting them where they are at and helping them unlock their potential.

Early in his career, Frank made service a priority – embracing the power of what can happen when you put others first. Over the years, he has brought his diverse set of management skills to companies and non-profits including Bain Capital Ventures, Pri-Med, IBM, the National Job Corps Association, Mainspring, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Accenture and Arthur D. Little.

Frank was born in Montreal and graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and supply chain management.

Frank Britt

As chairman of [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) China, Belinda Wong focuses on delivering a holistic, long term strategy for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in China, to achieve sustainable, long-term growth at scale in [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) largest and fastest-growing international market. She is also responsible for exploring strategic investments and partnerships in China’s vibrant tech landscape, as well as driving positive social impact for people and planet via the Beijing [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Foundation. Belinda is a member of [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) global executive leadership team, contributing more than 20 years of rich field knowledge and leadership in China and the Asia Pacific region to the company’s global decision making.

Belinda helmed [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) China as ceo from 2011 to 2021, before elevating a team of talented, values-driven leaders groomed to drive its next growth chapter. During her tenure as ceo, she led China’s unprecedented growth to become one of [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) two lead markets. She grew the business from fewer than 500 stores to a vital engine of nearly 6,000, fueling the company’s business growth and performance on a global scale.

Belinda Wong

Ryan Butz is the current Vice President of Loyalty Strategy and Marketing at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Prior to this, they served as the Managing Director of Customer Loyalty at Alaska Airlines from September 2015 to October 2020. In this role, they were responsible for strategic planning, product management, operations, pricing, promotions, growth, customer communications (CRM), retention and P&L management for Alaska Mileage Plan, Alaska's co-branded credit card program and seven Alaska Lounges. Under their leadership, the programs they managed grew by 43% in 5 years and generated over $1.3 billion in revenue per year for Alaska Airlines. Ryan also led the successful integration of Virgin America’s Elevate loyalty program and co-brand credit card portfolio into Alaska Mileage Plan following Alaska’s acquisition of Virgin America. Ryan defined the vision for a unified view of Alaska’s customer data that increased marketing effectiveness by enabling more relevant and targeted messaging based on customer value, booking channel, travel history and trip purpose. Their success in this role required a deep understanding of the industry and loyalty program landscape, guest needs, program economics and operational feasibility. Their mission is to build and maintain a vibrant and relevant program that delivers unparalleled value for members, development opportunities for their team and positive returns for Alaska Airlines.

After Ryan Butz graduated from [Colorado State University](/org/colorado-state-university) with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, they decided to pursue a Master of Business Administration at the University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business.

Ryan Butz works with David Chiang - Director Marketing, Category and Digital Experience, LATAM, Jon Groebner - Director, Social & Content Marketing, and Thomas Prather - VP, Brand & Product Marketing. Ryan Butz reports to Kyndra Russell, SVP, Marketing.

Ryan Butz

Satya Nadella is currently a board member at [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). Satya was previously the CEO of Microsoft, and before that they were with Fred Hutch.

Satya Nadella attended the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where they received a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. Satya then attended the Manipal Institute of Technology, where they received a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Satya Nadella

Tina Brandt began their career in the foodservice industry in 1994, working their way up from assistant store manager to deli/food manager at [Costco Wholesale](/org/costco-wholesale). In 2001, they transitioned to [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Coffee Company, where they spent the next 11 years in various roles, most notably as program manager for inventory management and global operations. In this role, Tina was responsible for providing business intelligence and ensuring all groups had access to detailed information about materials procurement and supplies. Tina also worked cross-functionally with I.T. and supply chain operations to streamline processes, improve warehouse management, and enhance systems - all of which contributed to significant cost savings for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). In 2012, Tina was promoted to VP of APAC Operations, where they currently oversee all [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) operations in Asia-Pacific.

Their manager is Emmy Kan, SVP & President, Asia Pacific. They are on a team with Takafumi Minaguchi - CEO, [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Japan, Belinda Wong - Chair, [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) China.

Tina Brandt

Katie Young is senior vice president, Global Growth and Development for Starbucks. In this newly created role, Katie is responsible for driving enterprise-wide trade area transformation, transforming the Starbucks store portfolio through the integration of the physical and digital experience. The store portfolio transformation includes new store formats such as the expansion of the new Starbucks Pickup stores, the launch of curbside, innovative drive-thru models, and future café formats.  She is also responsible for accelerating the data-driven optimization of store locations across the United States and expanding this approach globally.

Katie joined Starbucks in 2012 and has held numerous leadership positions, including driving urban market strategy and leading the food category and innovation teams. She attributes much of her success over the years to her ability to unlock co-creation and speed of innovation in a large organization through shared briefs, integrated teams, customer-led insights, obsession with data, and relentless focus on joyful learning.

Prior to Starbucks, Katie as an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company, specializing in the social sector, CPG, and agribusiness. Her strategic focus was growth under uncertainty.  She was part of the team that developed the first-ever agriculture strategy for the Gates Foundation. Other strategy work included: food security for 16 countries and creating transformational frontline change for the Ethiopian Government’s 60,000 extension agents.  

Katie holds a master’s degree in public policy (MPP, International Development) from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and honors political science from Kenyon College. She currently serves on the boards of Global Washington, Trust for Public Land, and University of Washington Bothell business school.

Katie, her husband, and two children enjoy constantly exploring what Seattle has to offer. She can often be found at her local West Seattle Starbucks enjoying the daily dark roast or indulging with a Caramel Macchiato.

Katie Young

Brenda LeMire

Julie Broxson

Natarajan “Venkat” Venkatakrishnan is Starbucks senior vice president, Partner and Customer Solutions. He leads the technical and business teams responsible for food and beverage equipment as well as consumer and supply chain packaging. Venkat founded and directs the Tryer Center, Starbucks innovation incubator, where he and his team create and validate new technologies for Starbucks retail stores.

Venkat, who started with Starbucks in 2017 as the vice president of engineering for Equipment before assuming his current role in 2022, led the construction of the Tryer Center space in 2018 and co-created its operating model with Starbucks partners across the enterprise. His team is responsible for the design and deployment of new espresso machines, cooking ovens, cold brewers and new packaging innovation. This has been instrumental in creating one of the largest internet-based food and beverage equipment systems in the retail industry.

Prior to Starbucks, Venkat worked with General Electric Company for 20 years in Corporate Research, Mergers & Acquisitions and Advanced Technologies Development with responsibilities for technology and intellectual property strategy. While at GE Appliances, Venkat also founded and led two GE Appliances-funded startups, FirstBuild & Giddy, where he pioneered the use of internal innovation incubation and social product development for early product validation. Prior to GE Appliances, Venkat held roles at Ford India and Eicher Mitsubishi.

Venkat has a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chennai, India and has more that 50 patent filings across a range of industries and applications. 

Natarajan Venkatakrishnan

Sara Kelly is executive vice president and chief partner officer for Starbucks. In her role, Sara is responsible for helping partners realize their career potential and building global partner capability to enable growth and help deliver the company’s strategic plan. 

Sara first joined the company in 2001 as a Partner Resources coordinator in California and continued to follow her interest in Partner Resources by becoming a business partner, supporting multiple business units within the enterprise, and deepening her business acumen. Regardless of her role, Sara has always strived to ensure that all partners who wear the green apron around the globe have the support to develop, lead, and grow at Starbucks. She believes in leading by example, embracing vulnerability as a partner and especially as a leader, and finding the meaning in every moment. 

Prior to her current role, Sara was senior vice president, Talent & Partner Experience, where she was responsible for advancing Starbucks talent and organizational leadership agenda and was focused on amplifying the strategic work being led by the talent acquisition, talent management, partner experience, learning and development, and organization and leadership effectiveness teams. 

Before leading Talent & Partner Experience, Sara led the organizational leadership and effectiveness team, where she was instrumental in Starbucks enterprise change management journey through the COVID pandemic, and she continues to lead the partner and leader experience as Starbucks transitions to a first-time hybrid workforce. With greater flexibility in mind, through the work of Sara and her team, Starbucks is committed to connecting all partners to our unique culture and creating a hybrid workplace that enables every partner to deliver their best work in support of retail partners and customers. 

Before returning to Seattle in 2019, Sara lived in Hong Kong for four years, where she served as vice president of Partner (Human) Resources for the Asia Pacific Region. While in Hong Kong, Sara committed much of her time to advancing women’s equality for female partners across the Asia Pacific markets.  Upon her return to Seattle, Sara was eager to continue her focus around women’s equality and quickly became an executive champion of Starbucks Women’s Impact Network, a partner network that focuses on igniting the power of women through partners, allies, and community. Through her sponsorship, Sara hopes to continue her commitment to inclusion and diversity by helping remove workplace barriers to promote equality and creating opportunity for career advancement and development. 

Sara is originally from Southern California and graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, with a B.S. in business administration and an emphasis in human resources.

Sara Kelly

patrick miller

Steve Lemler

choi yee choong

Andrew Ohm

Mellody Hobson is an American businesswoman who is the president of [Ariel Investments](/org/ariel-investments). She is the former chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation, having stepped down after negotiating the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., by [NBCUniversal](/org/nbcuniversal) in August, 2016. 

In addition to serving over 15 years on the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) board of directors, Hobson is the co-CEO of [Ariel Investments](/org/ariel-investments), LLC, a global value-based asset management firm. In this role, she is responsible for management, strategic planning and growth for all areas of [Ariel Investments](/org/ariel-investments) outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as Chairman of the Board of the company’s publicly traded mutual funds. Prior to being named Co-CEO, Hobson spent nearly two decades as the firm’s President. Beyond [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), she has brought invaluable experience to boardrooms across the nation. She currently serves as a director of [JPMorgan Chase](/org/jpmorgan-chase). Hobson is also a past director of Estée Lauder Companies and served as Chairman of the Board of DreamWorks Animation until the company’s sale.



Mellody Hobson

Duncan is president of [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), responsible for bringing the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) experience to more than 40 countries in over 3,500 stores. Accountable for the strategy, growth and operations across this diverse and complex region, Duncan combines a values-led leadership approach with a strong focus on strategy and performance.

Duncan’s broad leadership experience spans multiple cultures, product categories and business models. Prior to this role, he was president, Global Channel Development, leading the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Consumer Packaged Goods, Foodservice and Ready-to Drink (RTD) business globally. He successfully established the Global Coffee Alliance with [Nestlé](/org/nestle), bringing [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) premium packaged coffee and tea products to consumers around the world, including the Nespresso and Dolce Gusto platforms. He and his team also led the growth and development of [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) global RTD partnerships, including the Pepsi North America Coffee Partnership, Teavana Iced Tea and Evolution Fresh businesses.

Before joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in January 2015, Duncan spent more than eight years with [Johnson & Johnson](/org/johnson-johnson) in several key leadership positions, including Vice President EMEA and  International Vice President for McNeil Nutritionals. Prior to [Johnson & Johnson](/org/johnson-johnson), he spent 14 years with [Unilever](/org/unilever) in a variety of marketing and business leadership roles, including the integration of Best Foods brands. Duncan also lived in Milan, Italy, leading the [Unilever](/org/unilever) culinary business which included the development and geographic expansion of the Bertolli brand.

Duncan holds a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Leicester University, England, and completed the executive development program at Wharton Business School. As an ambassador for the charity Send A Cow, Duncan is a passionate supporter of their work in rural Africa. He lives in London with his wife, Kathy. Their two children have just completed their undergraduate and master’s degrees, one in the UK and the other in Sydney, Australia. Duncan is an avid sports fan and food enthusiast.

Duncan Moir

George Dowdie is executive vice president of Global Supply Chain for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). He is responsible for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) end-to-end supply chain, including procurement, manufacturing, and distribution, as well as critical quality and food safety initiatives. In this leadership role, George shapes and operationalizes supply chain strategies that enable the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Experience globally.

Most recently, George served as senior vice president of Global Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), and was responsible for building and renewing food safety and quality capabilities to support growth, customer satisfaction, and loyalty.

Prior to joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in 2013, George was Senior Vice President, Global R&D & Quality for [Campbell Soup Company](/org/campbell-soup-company), where he was the senior officer responsible for Campbell’s Research & Development centers across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Earlier in his career, George held leadership roles at Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and Frito-Lay. He has extensive experience in food safety and quality strategy, research and development, new product development and commercialization, innovation management, and new business development across a broad range of consumer products.

He currently serves on the Board of Advisors at the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety and is a member of the [National Coffee Association](/org/national-coffee-association)’s Science Leadership Council.

George holds a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from Louisiana State University and a B.S. from [Tuskegee University](/org/tuskegee-university). He has also completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Business. Outside of work, George enjoys golf, travel, and spending time with his family. His favorite [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) beverage is a tall Americano with steamed milk.

George Dowdie

Aranthan “AJ” Jones II is senior vice president, Global Communications, Public Affairs for Starbucks. In this newly created role, AJ is responsible for leading Starbucks global communications, international communications, partner communications, Starbucks Stories, and marketing integration and entertainment.

Before joining Starbucks, AJ was the Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer for Vanda Pharmaceuticals, where he led the communications, investor relations, government affairs, corporate branding, ESG (environmental, social and governance), corporate philanthropy, and advocacy functions as a named executive officer. He also served as an executive member of the company’s corporate development and licensing review committee.

Previously, AJ worked at Burson|Cohn & Wolfe and headed its Global Public Affairs and Corporate practices. In these roles, he counseled Fortune 500 companies, national non-profits, government leaders, and multilateral agencies on strategic communications, reputation management, corporate social responsibility, investor relations, public policy, corporate governance, and ESG initiatives.

Prior to serving in this position, AJ held several executive roles at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, leading the organization’s internal and external communications, thought leadership and public policy initiatives and celebrity entertainment partnerships. Reporting directly to the President and CEO, he served as a lead spokesperson and as a senior implementation strategist on behalf of the organization’s domestic and international investments and social enterprises.

Prior to his corporate and philanthropic roles, AJ was the policy director for Rep. James Clyburn, U.S. Congressional majority whip. While there, he was directly responsible for crafting more than 214 pieces of legislation, 142 of which became law, and was a lead policy negotiator and external communicator for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act which created the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP).

AJ has worked extensively internationally in Hong Kong, South Africa, Germany, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and France. Additionally, he can speak Yoruba and is currently learning conversational Hebrew.

He is an avid world traveler, a devoted jazz fan, an art and horology enthusiast, and a budding gastronome. AJ is a standing guest lecturer at Harvard University and a member of the Forbes Communications Council. His favorite Starbucks beverages are Iced White Tea, White Hot Chocolate, and Caramel Apple Spice.

AJ holds a B.S. in sociology and anthropology from Iowa State University. He received his graduate training in global health policy with concentrations in economic development and finance from George Washington University. Additionally, he is completing an MBA at Cornell University as an Emerging Markets Fellow.

AJ Jones II

Luisa Girotto

As executive vice president and president of [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) North America, Sara Trilling is responsible for driving operational excellence, and supporting more than 240,000 [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) partners (employees) who provide the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Experience in more than 18,000 stores, every day. During her two decades of service with [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), she has touched nearly every aspect of the business, and demonstrated the best of the company’s Mission and Values as a leader who is committed to the experience of the Green Apron partners.

During her tenure with [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Sara’s leadership and commitment to human connection in the stores has led to positive growth in the numerous roles she’s held across the company. Most recently, Sara served as senior vice president and president of [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) Asia Pacific, driving [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) business and social impact priorities in collaboration with regional leaders – growing retail store count and digital offerings to meet unprecedented customer demand across the 14 markets in the region, while creating a positive impact for the communities we serve.

Sara joined [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in 2002 in search of an entrepreneurial, purpose-driven company. She started in the Creative Studio to innovate the global retail store footprint before transitioning to the Store Development organization where she took on a leadership role for Global Design and Architecture during an incredible growth period for the company. In 2008, Sara was selected to serve as the Regional Vice President in Florida, where she was instrumental in increasing profitability and transforming [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) operations to profitable growth. She relocated to California where she served as the vice president and general manager, Evolution Fresh, from 2011-2013. While in the role, she led Evolution Fresh’s integration within the [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) brand, relaunched the brand and extended the brand nationally across premium grocery outlets.

In 2013, Sara returned to Seattle to lead and oversee 3,500 stores as senior vice president, North Division, where she simultaneously drove operational strategy and retail execution at scale. She then transitioned to senior vice president, Operations Service – Global and Americas where her leadership and oversight drove a simplified operational strategy to strengthen our partner connection with customers, each other and the company. Previously, she has led the Food Category and Innovation team as senior vice president, responsible for driving the U.S. Food Category, as well as building the future growth of the platform. 

Sara’s career began in the design world where she managed a variety of accounts and projects for a woman-owned business and gained experience in human resources. Early on in her career, she learned the key to a good leader is asking good questions and uncovering the answers. This approach has led her to where she is today, leading teams to innovate and elevate their best work to the company.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in religious studies, with a minor in ethnic studies, from the University of Oregon.

Sara Trilling

Aswin Krishnan is senior vice president, Corporate and Financial Services for [Starbucks](/org/starbucks). In this role, Aswin is responsible for leading business integration, global shared services, workplace solutions, business transformation, and accounting and ensuring the integrity of internal and external financial reporting. Promoted to his role in March 2022, he reports directly to [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) chief financial officer.

Aswin joined [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) in June 2019 as vice president of Shared Services, leading the design and delivery of shared services for partner resources, customer service, retail, store development, supply chain, technology and finance.  

Aswin’s career journey spans multiple businesses, functions and geographies across start-up, growth and turnaround environments. He is passionate about championing inclusion, diversity and equity and attracting and developing talent to create high-performance cultures. He has experience in strategy development, P&L management, creating and deploying operating models, innovating products and technologies to deliver world class customer and employee experiences, building and scaling global operations and leading global enterprise-wide change initiatives for several Fortune 100 organizations.

Prior to joining [Starbucks](/org/starbucks), Aswin worked for Amazon from 2017-2019, leading worldwide vendor and brand operations and overseeing a global team in their delivery of world-class experiences and services. During his tenure with Liberty Mutual Insurance from 2009-2016, he was promoted to senior vice president of strategic services and led a global customer and operational excellence transformation. Prior to Liberty, Aswin was at [The Hartford](/org/the-hartford) where he held leadership positions spanning multiple businesses and functions, including an international expatriate leadership assignment in Japan.

Aswin holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) in Mumbai, India and an MBA from [Virginia Tech](/org/virginia-tech). He has also completed the Strategic Leadership program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and the Coaching for Leadership Impact program at the Center for Creative Leadership.

Aswin’s journey started in India, and over the years, he has lived in Virginia, Tokyo, Connecticut and Seattle. He enjoys playing and watching tennis, attending music festivals, and traveling with family and friends to experience new cultures and foods. His favorite [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) beverage is a Nitro Cold Brew.

Aswin Krishnan

Thomas Prather

Janet Brady

Howard Schultz is a transformative leader who built [Starbucks](/org/starbucks) over four decades into one of the world’s most recognized and respected businesses, a company committed to strengthening communities through human connection and innovation.

Howard Schultz

Helena Scamehorn

Andrew Campion

Debbie Stroud is Starbucks senior vice president, U.S. Operations, leading the regional vice president team that oversees store operations across the country. Her primary focus is to create meaningful human connections in Starbucks stores by delivering the best partner (employee) experience.

Debbie started her journey at Starbucks in 2017 as the regional vice president, Licensed Stores, for the U.S. central southeast. In January 2020, she became vice president, Operations, serving as a key leader within Operations Services and the U.S. leadership team, driving decision-making and strategy in critical workstreams, from COVID-19 modified operations, to labor and technology excellence to supporting complex staffing, scheduling and production needs. She enjoys co-creating a strong vision for operational excellence, while sharing energy and passion to achieve results as a team. 

Debbie’s career began with McDonald’s in 1990 where she served in numerous financial roles and transitioned to operations in 2003, ultimately serving as vice president and general manager in the U.S. southeast. Debbie holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Illinois Wesleyan University and has previously served on the Women’s Foodservice Forum and the North Carolina Ronald McDonald House Charities board of directors.

Debbie lives in the Seattle area with her husband Bob. They enjoy travel, spending time with their three daughters and extended family, and together they enjoy a morning routine of a sugar-free vanilla latte.

Debbie Stroud

Clara Chung-wai Shih is an American businesswoman. She is the CEO and co-founder of Hearsay Social.

Clara Shih

Jørgen Vig Knudstorp is the executive chairman and former CEO of the Lego Group. 

Starbucks

Org chart

Teams

Leadership Team

CEO and Executive Team

Board of Directors

Behind the scenes

Values

We are performance driven, through the lens of humanity.

Delivering our very best in all we do, holding ourselves accountable for results.

Being present, connecting with transparency, dignity and respect.

Acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our company and each other.

Creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome.

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