Headlines

Starbucks Searching for Successor to Retiring CEO

Howard Schultz is back to lead the coffee giant on an interim basis

Published

2 years ago

March 17, 2022

VMSD Staff

Starbucks Searching for Successor to Retiring CEO — Kevin Johnson will retire as the CEO of Starbucks on April 4. Credit: John Lehmann/Fortune, Flickr Commons

Kevin Johnson will retire as the CEO of Starbucks on April 4. Credit: John Lehmann/Fortune, Flickr Commons

Starbucks (Seattle) announced that President and CEO Kevin Johnson intends to retire after a 13-year tenure at the company, which includes the last five years spent as the chief executive.

Johnson will transition from his current role on April 4 to serve as a consultant to the company and board of directors through September. In a statement, Starbucks said it has been working with an executive search firm since 2021 and anticipates selecting a new CEO by the fall.

To serve in Johnson’s stead, Howard Schultz has been tabbed as the interim CEO until a new leader is named. Schultz was the coffee giant’s CEO from 1986 to 2000 and then again from 2008 to 2017.

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