SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 16, 2012--
Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ:SBUX) today announced several
leadership changes to accelerate its innovation and growth. The company
announced the following leadership moves as it further strengthens its
three-region operating model:
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Lucy Lee Helm was named executive vice president, general counsel and
secretary
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Arthur Rubinfeld was named chief creative officer and president,
Global Development and Evolution Fresh Retail
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Annie Young-Scrivner was named executive vice president and president,
Starbucks Canada
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Colin Moore was named senior vice president, Enterprise Optimization
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Craig Russell was named senior vice president, Global Coffee
coinciding with the retirement of Dub Hay as senior vice president,
Global Coffee Authority this November
“As we continue to sharpen our focus and strengthen our three-region
operating model, local relevancy and speed of decision making are two
critical requirements we must deliver so that we can seize
opportunities,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, president and
ceo. “We will never rest when it comes to coffee innovation and
elevating the overall coffee experience for our customers. The
leadership moves we announced today will enable us to more swiftly
position ourselves for the exciting opportunities ahead while never
losing sight of the fact that we are a global brand with a rich heritage
in coffee, long-standing values, and the responsibility to use our scale
for good.”
Lucy Lee Helm
executive vice president, general counsel
and secretary
Helm has been a partner (employee) at Starbucks for more than 12 years
and her appointment as executive vice president, general counsel and
secretary comes after serving as interim general counsel since April of
2012. She will lead the Law & Corporate Affairs (L&CA) department,
support the Starbucks Board of Directors and serve as a member of the
company’s senior leadership team. Helm has previously led the Starbucks
Litigation & Brand Protection (intellectual property) team, L&CA
Operations, Global Business (commercial) team, and Litigation &
Employment team. She currently chairs the company’s Policy Governance
Council and also serves as the executive sponsor of L&CA’s pro bono
program. Helm will report to Schultz.
Arthur Rubinfeld
chief creative officer and president,
Global Development and Evolution Fresh Retail
Rubinfeld will expand his role to chief creative officer and president,
Global Development and Evolution Fresh Retail. In addition to continuing
to lead strategic store site selection and design, he will be
responsible for developing and integrating a dynamic brand experience
for Starbucks customers around the world. Rubinfeld, who was responsible
for the design of the company’s first Evolution Fresh juice store which
opened in March in Bellevue, Wash., will also continue to lead the
Evolution Fresh retail store strategy. Rubinfeld initially joined
Starbucks in 1992, spending ten years growing Starbucks retail presence
from 100 stores to 4,000 stores around the world. He returned to
Starbucks in 2008 to lead global store development. He will continue to
report to Schultz and serve on the company’s senior leadership team.
Annie Young-Scrivner
executive vice president and
president, Starbucks Canada
Young-Scrivner has been appointed executive vice president and
president, Starbucks Canada – the company’s largest market outside the
U.S. Starbucks opened its first store outside the U.S. in Canada 25
years ago. She will be based at Starbucks Canada’s Toronto Support
Center where she will bring over 20 years of innovative marketing
experience to this priority market. Young-Scrivner will assume her new
role by the end of September – the conclusion of the company’s current
fiscal year. She will report to Cliff Burrows, president, Americas and
U.S.
To be more nimble and locally relevant, Starbucks has moved its
marketing and category functions to the regional and market level. As a
result, the company will not replace the global chief marketing officer
role which Young-Scrivner previously held. However, the company has
formed a cross-functional global brand leadership team, led by Vivek
Varma, executive vice president, Public Affairs, to deliver regional and
channel-specific brand alignment and breakthrough innovation.
Additionally, this team will ensure local marketing and category
initiatives continue to be grounded in our company mission and values.
As Young-Scrivner focuses on leading and growing the Canadian market,
Jeff Hansberry, president, Channel Development, will expand his
responsibilities to include Tazo Tea which will join the company’s
emerging brands portfolio along with Evolution Fresh and Seattle’s Best
Coffee.
Colin Moore
senior vice president, Enterprise Optimization
Moore, who currently serves as senior vice president Starbucks Americas
and president, Starbucks Canada, will transition to his newly created
role as senior vice president, Enterprise Optimization. Over the past
ten years, he has led the Canadian team in building Starbucks largest
market outside the U.S. In his new role, Moore will report to chief
financial officer Troy Alstead where he will have responsibility for
driving greater financial value creation as well as economic and
operating efficiencies for the company worldwide. He will continue to be
based in Toronto.
Craig Russell
senior vice president, Global Coffee
Russell, who most recently served as senior vice president, U.S. Store
Services has been named senior vice president, Global Coffee. This move
coincides with the announcement of Dub Hay’s retirement next November as
senior vice president, Global Coffee Authority after nearly 10 years
with Starbucks. In this expanded coffee leadership role, Russell will
serve as the company voice and advocate for coffee and its business
strategy. The Global Coffee team will continue to deliver a unified
focus on coffee and drive innovation across all coffee platforms in
addition to partnering with Starbucks Supply Chain Operations and Global
Responsibility teams on ethical sourcing practices. All aspects of
coffee category, education and engagement will also be led by this team.
Russell, an 11-year partner will report to Schultz and join the senior
leadership team.
Schultz added, “I cannot overstate what an incredible asset Dub has been
to Starbucks as a true force in the industry, whose passion for coffee
is only surpassed by his expertise. We wish him the very best in his
retirement.”
About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically
sourcing and roasting the highest quality arabica coffee in the
world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier
roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our
unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring
the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer
through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our
stores or online at www.starbucks.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to certain
leadership changes of Starbucks Corporation, as well as trends in or
expectations regarding the effect of leadership changes on the company’s
strategies, opportunities innovation and growth and the leadership and
performance of the persons being appointed to their roles. These
forward-looking statements are based on currently available operating,
financial and competitive information and are subject to a number of
significant risks and uncertainties associated with its business. Actual
results may differ materially depending on a variety of factors
including, but not limited to: the successful implementation of the
announced leadership changes; the ability of the persons appointed to
lead and provide results in their new roles; fluctuations in U.S. and
international economies and currencies; the impact of competition;
coffee, dairy and other raw material prices and availability; costs
associated with, and the successful execution of, the company’s other
initiatives; and other risks detailed in the company filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” section
of Starbucks Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
October 2, 2011. The company assumes no obligation to update any of
these forward-looking statements.
Source: Starbucks Coffee Company
Starbucks Coffee Company
Media:
Jim Olson,
206-318-7100
[email protected]
or
Investor
Relations:
JoAnn DeGrande, 206-318-7118
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