Indian-origin Laxman Narasimhan on being Starbucks CEO: 'With deepest humility'

Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan recently achieved certification as a barista.

Laxman Narasimhan on assumed the role of the CEO of Starbucks, taking over from Howard Schultz, the Seattle-based coffee giant said. Narasimhan joins the growing list of Indian-origin business leaders at the helm of global corporations.

Narasimhan, 55, takes charge of Starbucks six months after the company said that he would become the company’s next chief executive officer and a member of the Starbucks board of directors.

Taking to LinkedIn, Narasimhan praised his predecessor Schult for building the iconic brand from scratch.

“I accept the position of CEO of Starbucks with the deepest of humility. The foundation Howard has laid – building from scratch an iconic global brand fuelled by a lasting passion to uplift humanity – is truly remarkable,” he wrote.

“Starbucks is an incredible company and its best days are ahead of it.”

Laxman Narasimhan joined Starbucks as incoming CEO last October after relocating from London to the Seattle area.

He recently achieved certification as a barista. In a LinkedIn post, he said he spent five months learning from thousands of Starbucks employees around the world. He also shared a video of him serving customers.
Narasimhan holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering, University of Pune. He also has a Master of Arts in German and International Studies from The Lauder Institute at The University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.

Narasimhan was the CEO of UK-based consumer health, hygiene and nutrition multinational Reckitt Benckiser. Previously, he served as an executive in various leadership roles at PepsiCo, including as global chief commercial officer, where he was responsible for the company’s long-term growth strategy and commercial capabilities.

Prior to PepsiCo, he spent 19 years at McKinsey & Company, where he advised companies across the retail, consumer goods, and healthcare industries in the US, Asia, and India.