Starbucks' new Chief Executive Officer Laxman Narasimhan is a consumer-industry veteran with roots in India's Pune city.
Narasimhan, 55, will succeed Howard Schultz and become part of the coffee giant on October 1, amid challenges like declining sales and pushback from unions. Schultz will be an advisor to Narasimhan.
Narasimhan, who previously held top positions in Reckitt Benckiser Group and PepsiCo, studied at University of Pune's College of Engineering. After completing his engineering course, he went to the US to study at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton business school.
The executive worked for global management consulting firm McKinsey from 1993 to 2012, progressing to become the director and location manager of its office in Delhi.
Narasimhan joined beverages giant PepsiCo in 2012, where he rose to the rank of chief commercial officer. He was also served as the chief executive officer of PepsiCo Latin America
In 2019, he became the CEO of consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser.
The company credited the executive with revitalising its "strategy, execution and foundational capabilities".
Narasimhan has also led projects in the public sector, especially in the areas of skill building and education. He is a fellow of the American non-profit Foreign Policy Association and Brookings Institution, a think tank.
The executive is regarded as a leader with with "exceptional strategic capabilities and consumer insight".
"(He has) a proven track record in developing purpose-led brands and driving consumer-centric and digital innovation," his former company Reckitt Benckiser has said about him. "He has previously led complex operational businesses and inspired teams across developed and emerging markets to achieve market-leading performance."
Also read: Starbucks taps Reckitt's Laxman Narasimhan as CEO while Howard Schultz lingers
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