Starbucks names former Microsoft and Juniper exec as president, COO
Seattle -- Starbucks Corp. has appointed Kevin Johnson as president and chief COO, effective March 1. He replaces the company's current COO, 23-year Starbucks veteran, Troy Alstead, who, as previously announced, will take a sabbatical beginning March 1. Over the next month, Alstead will work to immerse Johnson into his levels of responsibility as they work together to ensure a smooth transition.
Johnson, a Starbucks board member since 2009, served as CEO of Juniper Networks from 2008 through 2013. Prior to that, he served as the president of the Platforms Division at Microsoft Corpo. and was a member of Microsoft’s senior leadership team and held a number of senior executive positions over the course of his 16 years at Microsoft.
“As a member of our board of directors, Kevin has worked closely with me for the past six years as a sounding board and collaborator on many of the strategies we are now pursuing," said Starbucks chairman, president and CEO Howard Schultz. "Kevin’s deep management experience and technology background will help further propel Starbucks efforts in partner (employee) and customer-facing innovations as we accelerate our global growth agenda."
As president and chief operating officer, Johnson will lead the company’s global operating businesses across the Americas, EMEA (Europe Middle East and Africa), and China/Asia Pacific, as well as Starbucks supply chain, information technology, and mobile and digital platforms.
He will report to Schultz and serve as a member of Starbucks senior leadership team, as well as continue on the Starbucks board of directors. He ceased membership on all Starbucks board committees prior to this appointment.
“As a member of our board of directors, Kevin has worked closely with me for the past six years as a sounding board and collaborator on many of the strategies we are now pursuing. Kevin’s deep management experience and technology background will help further propel Starbucks efforts in partner (employee) and customer-facing innovations as we accelerate our global growth agenda,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, president and ceo. “I am honored that Kevin is joining Starbucks in this capacity, particularly at this important time for our company, and I am looking forward to working with him and our strongest management team in the company’s 44-year history.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Howard, Troy and Starbucks senior leadership team for many years, and I am delighted to extend that relationship even deeper to work closely with our partners in operations, supply chain, technology and mobile and digital teams to drive our aggressive growth plans,” said Johnson. “Over the past six years I have gotten to know the company well and I look forward to extending my 33 years of operating experience to help propel Starbucks to the next decade of growth and innovation. I am honored and humbled to join Starbucks, a company that I love, during this important time.”