Starbucks New CEO: On Monday i.e. March 21, Laxman Narasimhan, an Indian-origin business executive, officially assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Starbucks, adding his name to the roster of global leaders at the helm of multinational corporations.
In September of last year, Starbucks declared Narasimhan as the next CEO and board member. Starbucks, a multinational chain of coffee shops, is among the world's most recognizable brands.
In an official statement, Starbucks announced that Laxman Narasimhan has taken up the position of Chief Executive Officer and will become a member of the company's board of directors.
Narasimhan's first major responsibility as CEO will be to lead Starbucks' annual shareholder meeting, scheduled for March 23.
With almost three decades of experience in leading global consumer goods companies and providing consultation to retail, grocery, restaurant, and e-commerce corporations, Narasimhan has previously held the position of CEO at Reckitt Benckiser, a British multinational firm dealing with consumer health, hygiene, and nutrition.
Narasimhan holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering at the University of Pune, India.
He possesses a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in German and International Studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Narasimhan's appointment adds him to the growing list of Indian-origin CEOs leading global giants, including Satya Nadella at Microsoft, Shantanu Narayen at Adobe, Sundar Pichai at Alphabet, and Arvind Krishna, who serves as both chairman and CEO at IBM.
In addition, Indra Nooyi led PepsiCo as CEO for 12 years before stepping down in 2018.
Another former CEO, Ajay Banga of Mastercard, was recently nominated by US President Joe Biden to head the World Bank.
