Effective January 19, Anand Varadarajan will assume the role of chief technology officer at Starbucks, following a distinguished 19-year career at Amazon. He will replace Deb Hall Lefevre, who departed in September.
Varadarajan's previous role at Amazon involved overseeing technology and supply chain operations for the company's grocery sector, including Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh. His extensive background also includes software engineering positions at Oracle and various startups.
Starbucks is focused on enhancing its technological framework to boost operational efficiency and service speed as part of its "Back to Starbucks" initiative, launched by CEO Brian Niccol after he took office in September 2024. The company emphasized the necessity of improving its marketing, data analytics, and AI capabilities to maintain consumer engagement.
Varadarajan will report directly to Niccol and become a member of the executive leadership team. He is also noted for being a marathon runner and a coffee lover.