Mark Brown

Mark Brown is Starbucks senior vice president, talent and inclusion. In his role, Mark is responsible for leading global strategies inclusive of performance and partner development, talent management, talent acquisition, and guiding Starbucks journey to advance racial and social equity for the partners (employees), the community and the society.  By bringing talent, inclusion and diversity together as one system, his team is focused on building talent as a true competitive advantage for Starbucks.

With more than 20 years of experience leading, mentoring and developing diverse teams on behalf of some of the world’s most influential brands, Mark brings experience, expertise, and passion to the company. Most recently, Mark led Starbucks talent acquisition function and the work to reimagine the hiring experience for partners (employees) and candidates. He also served as interim global inclusion and diversity officer, focusing on strengthening Starbucks position as an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible company.

Before joining Starbucks in 2021, Mark worked as an auditor with Ernst & Young, and held various leadership positions in talent acquisition and recruitment at Comcast Cable, Nordstrom, and Microsoft. Some career highlights have included launching and sustaining sourcing organizations and early-in-career talent programs, as well as creating community partnerships that built recruiting pipelines with positive social impact.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Sam Houston State University. He is married and has two children and enjoys traveling and experiencing different cultures.