From being a polyglot to transforming brands, 10 things to know about Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan
2 min read . Updated: 21 Mar 2023, 09:57 AM IST
PremiumAhead of his scheduled takeover at Starbucks as the new CEO, Laxman Narasimhan officially became the CEO of the company on Monday. Know all about the new CEO of coffee giant
Weeks ahead of his scheduled takeover of the role, Laxman Narasimhan assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks on Monday. With a thirty years of experience, Laxman was a leading force behind the transformation of Reckit's consumer brands and Pepsico. He joined the company's board of directors and working at the coffee giant in October last year.
Laxman Narsimhan has replaced company founder Howard Shultz, who had served as the interim CEO since returning in April. He has lived in more than 6 countries which easily justifies his ability to speak multiple languages. Know all about the new Starbucks CEO here.
10 points to know about the Starbucks CEO
-Laxman Narsimhan completed his Mechanical Engineering from the Colleges of Engineering, University of Pune, India. He also holds a Master of Arts in German and International Studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.
-Before joining the leading coffee brand, the 55-year-old had worked in companies like PepsiCo, Reckitt, McKinsey & Company, etc.
-Laxman Narsimhan joined the Tata-owned Starbucks as the interim CEO in October 2022. He was officially expected to takeover the position on 1 April, 2023.
-At Starbucks, Laxman would love to have a cup of doppio espresso macchiato with hot skim milk.
-During the COVID-19 pandemic, Laxman Narsimhan headed Reckitt. Under his leadership, the multinational consumer health firm sailed through uncertain lockdowns and health emergency. He also launched a company-wide effort to anchor Reckitt's consumer brands in higher demand spaces, initiated re-imagining of company's notable labels, expanding Reckitt's e-commerce base, etc.
-Apart from formulating the long-term growth strategy of PepsiCo, Laxman also served as CEO of the the company's Latin America, Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa operations, where he ran the company’s food and beverage businesses across over 100 countries. He also held roles like CEO of PespsiCo Latin America and CEO of PepsiCo America Foods.
-He contributed 19 years in building the McKinsey & Company across the retail, consumer goods, and healthcare industries in the U.S., Asia, and India.
-Laxman Narismhan knows six languages and worked globally across the private sector, public sector, and social sector.
-He is also a trustee of the Brookings Institution, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also one of the members of the UK Prime Minister’s Build Back Better Council and a member of Verizon’s Board of Directors.
-He has lived around the world due to his job. As per the Starbucks official website, he has lived in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa.