Starbucks has appointed Indian-origin technology executive Anand Varadarajan as its new executive vice president and chief technology officer, bringing on board a nearly two-decade Amazon veteran to lead the coffee chain’s global technology operations.
Varadarajan will assume the role on January 19, join Starbucks’ Executive Leadership Team and report directly to Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol, the company said. He replaces Deb Hall Lefevre, who stepped down in September, after which Ningyu Chen served as interim CTO.
The appointment comes as Starbucks pushes ahead with a broad technology overhaul aimed at modernising store operations and improving labour efficiency.
Varadarajan spent close to 19 years at Amazon, where he most recently led technology and supply chain systems for the company’s Worldwide Grocery Stores business. His experience includes building large-scale, customer-centric platforms across complex retail and logistics operations. Earlier in his career, he worked as a software engineer at Oracle and with several technology startups.
In a statement, Starbucks said Varadarajan brings deep expertise in developing secure and reliable systems, and in scaling technology to support operational excellence while keeping customers at the centre.
Chief Executive Brian Niccol, announcing the appointment, said Varadarajan will lead the Starbucks Technology organisation and play a key role in advancing the company’s digital capabilities globally.
Varadarajan is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology. He holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from Purdue University and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Washington.
Outside of work, Starbucks noted that Varadarajan is an avid runner pursuing all seven World Marathon Majors and a coffee enthusiast who starts his day with a tall latte or brewed coffee.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
