Meet Niccol Brian, the new CEO of Starbucks: All you need to know
Brian Niccol, the chairman of Chipotle Mexican Grill, has been appointed as the new CEO of Starbucks as of August 13, 2024. Niccol will conclude his tenure as CEO of Chipotle on August 31, 2024. Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, expressed his support for Niccol’s appointment, stating that Niccol has his “respect and full support.”
Laxman Narasimhan, the outgoing CEO of Starbucks, will be leaving both his position and the Starbucks board after joining the company in 2023. During Narasimhan's time, Starbucks experienced a 3 percent decline in global sales at stores open for at least a year, according to a CNN report. In contrast, Chipotle saw an 800 percent revenue growth while under Niccol's leadership, as highlighted by the same report.
Who is Brian Niccol?
Niccol has been with Chipotle since 2018 and became the Chairman of the Board in March 2020. Reflecting on his departure, Niccol stated, “I depart knowing the business is in great shape and poised for growth with a strong, experienced leadership team.”
Niccol's career in the food industry has been marked by several accolades. He has been recognized in Bloomberg’s ‘People who Defined 2019’ (The Bloomberg 50), Comparably’s ‘Best CEO’s’ (2019), Fortune’s ‘Businessperson of the Year’ (2019), University of Chicago Booth School of Business’s ‘Distinguished Alumni’ (2020), EatingWell’s American Food Heroes (2021), and Nation’s Restaurant News’ The Power List (2021).
He is also a board member at Walmart Inc. and previously served on the boards of KB Home
