Starbucks Appoints its Fourth CEO in Two Years ☕

What We’re Showing

This graphic shows the history of Starbucks CEOs since the company’s founding in 1971.

Narasimhan Ousted after 17 months

Laxman Narasimhan is out as CEO after Starbucks’ recent woes. This is particularly interesting, as Howard Schultz once praised him as a “strategic and transformational leader”.

Here were some of the lowlights during Narasimhan’s tenure.

• In the most recent quarter, sales at stores open for at least 1 year fell 3% globally YoY. Even worse, comparable store sales in China fell 14% YoY
• Starbucks has clashed with union workers over various cultural issues such as the treatment of LGBTQIA+ workers and support for Palestine

Can Brian Niccol turn things around?

Niccol will replace Narasimhan as CEO on Sept. 4, tasked with reversing Starbucks’ declining sales. Niccol has a wealth of experience in the food industry, serving as CEO of Taco Bell (2015-2018) and Chipotle (2018-2024).

Under his leadership, Chipotle moved on from its E. coli controversy in 2016 and has seen strong, consistent revenue growth.