Narasimhan joins the rising ranks of prominent Indian-origin CEOs from major US corporate giants such as Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, Adobe’s Shantanu Narain, Deloitte’s Punit Renzen and FedEx’s Raj Subramaniam. Prominent former domestic CEOs include PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi and Mastercard’s Ajay Banga.
Narasimhan, who currently heads health and hygiene company Reckitt, will join Starbucks in October and will take over from its distinguished interim CEO Howard Schultz in April.
Narasimhan, Starbuck CEO studied mechanical engineering at the University of Pune and then headed west, earning a Masters 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.
Starbucks’ commitment to uplifting humanity through connection and compassion has long distinguished the company, creating an unrivaled, globally acclaimed brand that has changed the way we connect with coffee. Humble to join this prestigious company at such a crucial time, as Narasimhan said, Reinvention and investment in partner and customer experiences will enable us to meet the changing demands of today and set us up for a stronger future works out.