Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Meet Laxman Narasimhan, a coffee industry outsider who just took over as CEO of Starbucks

Meet Laxman Narasimhan, a coffee industry outsider who just took over as CEO of Starbucks

The PepsiCo and Reckitt veteran is taking the reins from interim CEO Howard Schultz as the brand faces scrutiny over its dealings with union leaders.

Starbucks officially has a new CEO.

The Seattle-based coffee chain on Monday announced that Laxman Narasimhan has officially taken the reins as Starbucks chief executive, nearly two weeks earlier than planned. Narasimhan was named CEO last September, succeeding interim CEO Howard Shultz.

Narasimhan is new to the coffee industry, having started his career in the consulting world before joining PepsiCo, and, later, British consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser. Now, as he takes the helm of Starbucks, he'll be tasked with navigating the company's often contentious relationship with leaders at the nearly 300 of its stores nationwide that have voted to unionize.

Here's how Narasimhan got his start and rose to become CEO of the world's biggest coffee chain.


Narasimhan built his career in the beverage and consumer-goods industries

Laxman Narasimhan at Starbucks Investor Day in September 2022.


Narasimhan earned a mechanical-engineering degree from India's Pune University before moving to the US in the early 1990s to study at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed a master's in German and international studies as well as an MBA from Penn's Wharton School, The Telegraph reports.

Narasimhan's career began at consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he focused on the retail, consumer goods, and healthcare industries over the course of nearly two decades. He spent time living and working around the globe, including in Cleveland, Ohio; Toronto; Silicon Valley; Tokyo; and New Delhi, according to The Telegraph.

He joined PepsiCo in 2012, working in multiple roles during his seven years at the food and beverage firm, including CEO of its Latin America business and later, global chief commercial officer.

Narasimhan speaks six languages: English, German, three Indian languages, and conversational Spanish. He currently serves as a trustee of the Brookings Institution and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the UK's Build Back Better Council, and Verizon's board of directors, according to Starbucks.


He left Lysol-maker Reckitt to join Starbucks

Starbucks founder Howard Shultz, in the background, and incoming CEO Laxman Narasimhan.


In 2019, Narasimhan was tapped to lead Reckitt, the owner of brands like Lysol, Durex, Enfamil, and Mucinex. He's credited with steering the company through skyrocketing demand driven by the pandemic and executing a successful turnaround of the business.

His departure from Reckitt, announced in September 2022, came as a surprise to investors, who said the brand was just "getting its mojo back." Reckitt said at the time that Narasimhan was moving back to the US — he and his family previously lived in Connecticut during his tenure with PepsiCo — as he was approached with a new opportunity. The same day, Starbucks announced that Narasimhan would be its next CEO.

Starbucks said at the time that Narasimhan would begin as CEO on April 1, taking over for interim CEO Schultz. The longtime Starbucks leader built the brand into a coffee empire before stepping down in 2018 ahead of a presidential bid. Schultz returned to the company in March 2022 following CEO Kevin Johnson's retirement.

Starbucks said Monday that Narasimhan spent the last five months participating in "a unique immersion experience" that included working alongside employees at over 30 stores, manufacturing plants, and support centers worldwide and learning how to be a Starbucks barista. According to the company, his favorite drink is a doppio espresso macchiato with hot skim milk on the side.


The new CEO must tackle union-busting criticism

Starbucks workers in Biddeford participate in November's Red Cup Rebellion, a nationwide strike demanding the company fully staff union stores and bargain in good faith.


Narasimhan takes over the reins at Starbucks as the chain faces increased scrutiny over the company's conduct with union leaders. Of the 365 Starbucks stores that have held votes to unionize, 292 have voted to form a union.

But bargaining hasn't gone well, with Starbucks being accused of union-busting, and both sides accusing each other of stalling or not bargaining in good faith. Both sides have filed dozens of complaints with the National Labor Relations Act.

Taking center stage in the union battle is Narasimhan's predecessor, Schultz. He is set to testify next week at a US Senate hearing about the chain's handling of union activity. It's unclear what Narasimhan's position will be when it comes to the ongoing union movement at Starbucks.

In a previous statement, Starbucks said Narasimhan is expected to "reaffirm our long-standing efforts to create opportunity for all partners and the communities we call home."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×