Indian-origin Laxman Narasimhan assumes office as CEO of Starbucks
Laxman Narasimhan, an executive of Indian origin, joined the expanding club of business leaders with Indian ancestry who are leading major multinational corporations by officially assuming the position of Chief Executive Officer at the global coffee giant Starbucks.
Starbucks had announced in September of last year that Narasimhan would take over as the brand's future CEO and a member of the Starbucks Board of Directors.
Narasimhan joined Starbucks as the next CEO on October 1, 2022, after moving from London to the Seattle area, following a global hunt for the new CEO to succeed company founder and now former CEO, Howard Schultz.
“Effective today, Laxman Narasimhan has assumed the role of chief executive officer and will join the company’s board of directors,” Starbucks said in a statement.
“As he ascends into the role, Narasimhan will continue engaging the leadership team, sharing his early learnings and insights and assessing opportunities for the company as they chart a path forward,” the company said, as quoted by PTI.
Narasimhan, a former CEO of the consumer health, hygiene, and nutrition multinational Reckitt Benckiser with headquarters in the UK, joins Starbucks with nearly 30 years of experience managing multinational consumer goods businesses and providing advice to retailers, food distributors, restaurants, and e-commerce companies.
The company claimed that over the previous five months, he had engaged in a special immersion experience, travelling to work alongside staff members in more than 30 stores, manufacturing facilities, and support centres throughout the globe, "earning his barista certification" as he moved.
“I am humbled to officially step into my role as Starbucks chief executive officer, leading our incredible team of more than 450,000 green apron partners around the world,” the company statement quoted Narasimhan as saying.
"As a human connection business, we have limitless possibilities to deliver for our partners, our customers, our investors and our communities through every cup and every connection. I am excited to work alongside our partners worldwide to unlock the limitless future of Starbucks,” said Narasimhan.
