Starbucks names Brian Niccol as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Starbucks' announcement naming Brian Niccol as chairman and CEO, notable for pairing the new hire's quote with a warm exit line for the outgoing CEO.

The release, as issued

752 words, copied from starbucks.com on Sep 22, 2026. The text belongs to Starbucks.

Starbucks names Brian Niccol as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Brian Niccol will join Starbucks on September 9, 2024. Mellody Hobson will be lead independent director. Laxman Narasimhan is stepping down as ceo and as a director effective immediately. Rachel Ruggeri will serve as interim ceo.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced that Brian Niccol has been appointed chairman and chief executive officer. Niccol will start in his new role on September 9, 2024. Starbucks chief financial officer, Rachel Ruggeri, will serve as interim ceo until that time. Mellody Hobson, Starbucks board chair, will become lead independent director.

Niccol currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Chipotle. Since becoming CEO in 2018, Niccol has transformed Chipotle. His focus on people and culture, brand, menu innovation, operational excellence, and digital transformation have set new standards in the industry and driven significant growth and value creation. Revenue has nearly doubled, profits have increased nearly sevenfold, and the stock price has increased by nearly 800% during his leadership, all while increasing wages for retail team members, expanding benefits, and strengthening the culture.

“We are thrilled to welcome Brian to Starbucks. His phenomenal career speaks for itself. Brian is a culture carrier who brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of driving innovation and growth. Like all of us at Starbucks, he understands that a remarkable customer experience is rooted in an exceptional partner experience,” said Hobson. “Our board believes he will be a transformative leader for our company, our people, and everyone we serve around the world.”

“I am excited to join Starbucks and grateful for the opportunity to help steward this incredible company, alongside hundreds of thousands of devoted partners,” said Niccol. “I have long-admired Starbucks iconic brand, unique culture and commitment to enhancing human connections around the globe. As I embark upon this journey, I am energized by the tremendous potential to drive growth and further enhance the Starbucks experience for our customers and partners, while staying true to our mission and values.”

Laxman Narasimhan is stepping down from his role as ceo and as a member of the Starbucks board with immediate effect. During his tenure, he improved the Starbucks partner experience, drove significant innovation in our supply chain, and enhanced our store operations.

“On behalf of the board, I want to sincerely thank Laxman for his contributions to Starbucks, and his dedication to our people and brand,” said Hobson. “In the face of some challenging headwinds, Laxman has been laser focused on improving the business to meet the needs of our customers and partners. We all wish him the very best and know he will do great things in the future.”

Niccol joined Chipotle as Chief Executive Officer and a director in March 2018, and became Chairman of the Board in March 2020. Before joining Chipotle, he served as Chief Executive of Taco Bell. Before becoming CEO he held roles including Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, and President. He also served in leadership roles at Pizza Hut, another division of Yum! Brands. He began his career in brand management at Procter and Gamble.

Niccol currently serves on the board of directors of Walmart Inc. He previously served on the board of KB Home and Harley-Davidson. Niccol holds an undergraduate degree from Miami University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

“Having followed Brian’s leadership and transformation journey at Chipotle, I’ve long admired his leadership impact. His retail excellence and track record in delivering extraordinary shareholder value recognizes the critical human element it takes to lead a culture and values driven enterprise. I believe he is the leader Starbucks needs at a pivotal moment in its history. He has my respect and full support,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks founder and chairman emeritus. “I thank Mellody and the Starbucks board for their deep commitment to shaping the future of this remarkable global phenomenon that is Starbucks.”

Ruggeri is a 23-year Starbucks partner. She has been cfo since 2021.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 39,000 stores worldwide, 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 stories.starbucks.com or www.starbucks.com.

Starbucks Contact:

press@starbucks.com

Source: Starbucks Corporation

Dateline as issued: SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- 08/13/2024

Headline

Starbucks names Brian Niccol as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

The company, the action, the person, and both new titles all land in one line, so the single most important fact is captured before the lead even starts.

Lead paragraph

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced that Brian Niccol has been appointed chairman and chief executive officer. Niccol will start in his new role on September 9, 2024.

The lead answers who, what, and exactly when the change takes effect, a pattern any new-hire release can copy.

Quote

We are thrilled to welcome Brian to Starbucks. His phenomenal career speaks for itself. Brian is a culture carrier who brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of driving innovation and growth. — Mellody Hobson, Starbucks board chair

The board chair's quote is the hiring authority speaking, giving the appointment institutional backing rather than just a welcome line.

Quote

I am excited to join Starbucks and grateful for the opportunity to help steward this incredible company, alongside hundreds of thousands of devoted partners. — Brian Niccol

Pairing the board's quote with one from the new hire himself means both the hiring authority and the person hired are heard, not just one side.

Boilerplate

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 39,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world.

A short company history closes the release with scale, giving any reader who skips to the bottom a concrete number to cite.

Each passage above is quoted from the release; the note under it is this site's reading.

Why it works

The headline names the company, the action, the person, and both new titles in one line, so the single most important fact is captured before the lead even starts.
The lead sentence answers who, what, and exactly when the change takes effect, plus who covers the transition gap.
It uses two paired quotes, the board chair welcoming the incoming CEO and the incoming CEO speaking for himself, so both the hiring authority and the new hire are heard, not just one side.
A separate paragraph and quote handle the outgoing CEO's exit with a thank-you, so the release closes out the prior chapter instead of only celebrating the new hire.
It backs the new CEO's credibility with specific numbers from his prior job, turning a vague leadership claim into evidence.
It adds a third-party validating quote from the company's founder, which is not standard in most executive-appointment releases and lends weight beyond the board's own statement.

A prompt to write one like it

Paste this into the AI tool you use, then answer its questions with your own facts. It copies the structure, not the wording.

Write a press release for [YOUR COMPANY] announcing [YOUR NEWS]. It is a New hire release.

Model it on the structure of Starbucks's release "Starbucks names Brian Niccol as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer", without copying its wording.

Structure, in this order:
1. Headline
2. Dateline
3. Lead paragraph
4. Body
5. Quote
6. Body
7. Quote
8. Boilerplate
9. Media contact

Techniques to apply:
- The headline names the company, the action, the person, and both new titles in one line, so the single most important fact is captured before the lead even starts.
- The lead sentence answers who, what, and exactly when the change takes effect, plus who covers the transition gap.
- It uses two paired quotes, the board chair welcoming the incoming CEO and the incoming CEO speaking for himself, so both the hiring authority and the new hire are heard, not just one side.
- A separate paragraph and quote handle the outgoing CEO's exit with a thank-you, so the release closes out the prior chapter instead of only celebrating the new hire.
- It backs the new CEO's credibility with specific numbers from his prior job, turning a vague leadership claim into evidence.
- It adds a third-party validating quote from the company's founder, which is not standard in most executive-appointment releases and lends weight beyond the board's own statement.

Avoid: The release spends a full warm paragraph thanking the departing CEO immediately after an effective-immediately exit; when a departure is actually contentious, uniformly positive language like this can read as spin and should not be copied uncritically.

Ask for any missing facts instead of inventing them.
Do not invent quotes or numbers.
Keep it under 500 words.
Use plain, direct language.
End with ###.

Or start from the blank

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