Renowned civic leader to direct community, diversity, government
relations and global responsibility efforts
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 31, 2012--
Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced it has appointed
renowned community leader Blair Taylor as chief community officer.
Taylor currently serves as President and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban
League, an affiliate of one of the nation’s leading civil rights
organizations.
“At Starbucks annual shareholders meeting in March, I reiterated the
company’s long-standing belief that there is a direct relationship
between Starbucks success and the strength and vitality of the
communities in which we do business,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks
chairman, president and ceo. “As a distinguished community advocate and
an accomplished, entrepreneurial leader in the public and private
sectors, Blair’s vision, experience and innovative thinking will enhance
and elevate our commitment to Starbucks mission and work in the diverse
communities we serve. We are honored that Blair is joining Starbucks,
particularly at this important time for our company and for the world,
and look forward to the meaningful contributions he will make as we
pursue new opportunities that use Starbucks scale for good.”
Taylor will report to Schultz and be a member of Starbucks Senior
Leadership Team. In this newly created position, he will lead the
company’s Community, Government Relations, Diversity and Global
Responsibility teams. He will also serve as a member of the Starbucks
Foundation Board of Directors.
Taylor is a visionary leader and coalition builder with nearly 25 years
of public- and private-sector experience, including deep expertise in
education, urban development, business and community empowerment. His
previous experience includes working at both PepsiCo and IBM, where he
held numerous brand marketing, strategy, and executive sales positions.
“I have always admired the vital role Starbucks plays in the community
and its socially responsible approach to doing business, especially in
these tough economic times,” said Taylor. “This is the perfect
opportunity to combine my community, public and corporate experience at
one organization. I am grateful for the privilege to work at such an
extraordinary company and look forward to helping Starbucks continue
making a meaningful difference in communities around the world.”
Taylor has led the 90-year-old Los Angeles Urban League, which focuses
on education, workforce development and community advocacy, since 2005.
During this period he is credited with transforming the agency through
innovative nation-leading community engagement programs, such as Neighborhoods@Work™,
a holistic community reform model coordinating more than 150 public- and
private-sector partnerships. Taylor also initiated international
relationships in business and government, including leading the
country’s first high-level African American delegation to China. Within
Taylor’s first few years with the agency, one of the city's most
troubled high schools, Crenshaw High, achieved paradigm-shifting
outcomes, including a more than 50 percent increase in graduation rates
and a nearly 20 percent reduction in dropout rates.
Taylor presently serves on the Board of Trustees for Amherst College,
the Board of Councilors for the University of Southern California’s
Rossier School of Education, and as an appointee by U.S. Education
Secretary Arne Duncan to the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB).
He has recently served on the Board of the California Charter School
Association, and on the Boards of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce,
the Forum, the Los Angeles Civic Alliance and the KIPP Charter Schools
in Los Angeles.
Taylor will be based in Seattle and start his new role at the end of
July 2012.
Starbucks is committed to helping communities thrive. Among its most
recent initiatives was the company’s second annual Global Month of
Service in April 2012, when more than 230,000 hours of service were
volunteered by Starbucks partners (employees) and customers in an effort
that spanned 34 countries, 2,157 service projects and 1,120 nonprofit
organizations. During that month, the Starbucks Foundation also
earmarked $4 million, which was directed to 124 U.S. nonprofit
organizations by partners and customers who participated in an
innovative online voting process.
Other ongoing community engagement initiatives include the opening last
fall of the company’s first two “Community Stores” – one in Harlem and
one in Crenshaw – from which a portion of each customer transaction is
directed to local education and youth development programs. And to
address the jobs crisis in America, last November Starbucks and
Opportunity Finance Network teamed up to launch Create Jobs for USA - a
national campaign designed to help jumpstart the economy with a focus on
job creation in many of America’s most underserved communities.
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.
Source: Starbucks Coffee Company
Starbucks Coffee Company
Jim Olson, 206-318-7100
press@starbucks.com