Who is Brian Niccol, the New CEO of Starbucks?

Since March 2018, Mr. Niccol has been our Chief Executive Officer and a director; he also fills the extra position of Chairman of the Board since March 2020. From 2015 to early 2018 Mr. Niccol was Chief Executive Officer of Taco Bell, a worldwide restaurant chain run under Yum! Brands, Inc. 2011 saw him join Taco Bell as Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer; 2013–2014 saw him serve as President. From 2005 until 2011, from Taco Bell, General Manager and Chief Marketing Officer among other top roles at Pizza Hut, another Yum! Brands business.

Mr. Niccol worked for Procter & Gamble Co., filling in several brand management roles, ten years before joining Yum! Brands. Currently serving on the board of directors of both Walmart Inc. and Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, a nonprofit, Mr. Niccol He earlier held boards for Harley-Davidson and KB Home. Mr. Niccol boasts an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an undergraduate degree from Miami University.

Brian Niccol serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG). Under his stewardship as Chief Executive Officer, a position he has held since March 2018, Chipotle has experienced accelerated comparable sales growth. He assumed the role of Chairman in March 2020. Mr. Niccol has focused on nurturing innovation, expanding access, increasing visibility, and encouraging engagement with employees and consumers to drive the brand's purpose to Cultivate a Better World.

Chipotle, a global leader in the food industry, has been recognized and awarded numerous accolades during Mr. Niccol's tenure. These include the Fortune 500 (2021), Fortune's Most Admired Companies (2021, 2020), Forbes magazine's Best Employers for Diversity (2019-2021), Newsweek magazine's America's Most Responsible Companies (2020), and one of Comparably's Best Companies for Culture, Diversity, and Women (2019, 2020). Additionally, Chipotle was recognized as one of the Best Companies for Perks & Benefits, Happiness, and Best Professional Development (2020).

Mr. Niccol has been recognized by numerous organizations, including Fortune's "Businessperson of the Year" (2019), Bloomberg's "People who Defined 2019" (The Bloomberg 50), EatingWell's American Food Heroes (2021), Comparably's "Best CEO's" (2019), Best CEOs for Women and Diversity (2020), Orange County Business Journal's "Business People of the Year" (2020), Restaurant Business magazine's "Leader of the Year" (2020), Nation's Restaurant News The Power List (2021), and the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business's "Distinguished Alumni" (2020).

Mr. Niccol was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Taco Bell, a division of Yum! Brands, before his current position. Mr. Niccol served as the Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer and President of Taco Bell during his tenure. Additionally, Mr. Niccol served in numerous executive roles at Pizza Hut, a division of Yum! Brands, including Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager. Mr. Niccol served in a variety of brand management roles at Procter & Gamble for a decade before his employment with Yum! Brands.

Mr. Niccol is currently a member of the board of directors for The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, a nonprofit organization that is affiliated with Chipotle, and KB Home, one of the largest homebuilders in the United States. He was previously a member of the Harley-Davidson board. Mr. Niccol has an undergraduate degree from Miami University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.