Laxman Narasimhan, an Indian-origin executive, formally took over as CEO of global coffee giant Starbucks on Monday, joining a growing group of business leaders from India at the helm of multinational enterprises.
Starbucks announced in September last year that Narasimhan would become the company’s next chief executive officer and a member of the Starbucks Board of Directors.
Following a global hunt for a new leader to succeed business founder and now former CEO Howard Schultz, Narasimhan joined Starbucks as incoming CEO on October 1, 2022, after relocating from London to the Seattle area.
Narasimhan, the former CEO of the UK-based consumer health, hygiene, and nutrition multinational Reckitt Benckiser, brings nearly 30 years of expertise running global consumer products businesses and advising retailers, grocery stores, restaurants, and e-commerce enterprises to Starbucks.
According to the firm, he has been on a unique immersion experience for the past five months, travelling to work with staff in over 30 stores, production plants, and support centres throughout the world, “getting his barista certification” along the way.
I am humbled to officially move into my job as Starbucks CEO, leading our outstanding team of more than 450,000 green apron partners around the world,” Narasimhan said in a company release.
Narasimhan graduated from the College of Engineering at the University of Pune, India, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Narasimhan formerly worked at PepsiCo in a variety of senior roles, including a global chief commercial officer, where he was responsible for the company’s long-term growth strategy and commercial skills.
Before joining PepsiCo, he worked for McKinsey & Company, where he advised clients in the retail, consumer goods, and healthcare industries in the United States, Asia, and India.
According to the Starbucks website, he is a trustee of the Brookings Institution, a member of the Council on International Relations, a member of the UK Prime Minister’s Build Back Better Council, and a member of Verizon’s Board of Directors.
