Howard Schultz
Chairman & CEO of Starbucks Corporation (2008–2017)
Howard Schultz led Starbucks Corporation across two permanent tenures as CEO for a cumulative total of 22 years and 1 month (8,079 days). His first stint spanned from August 1, 1987 to June 1, 2000 (12 years, 10 months), taking the company public in 1992. He returned as CEO on January 7, 2008 to execute a major turnaround, serving until April 3, 2017 (9 years, 2 months) before stepping down to Executive Chairman.
Executive Terms Breakdown (2 Distinct Tenures)
Continuous days served across multiple appointments at Starbucks Corporation.
Executive Succession & Corporate Facts
- Predecessor
- Not recorded
- Successor
- Not recorded
- Database Tenure Rank
- #16 Longest-Serving CEO in Database (View Full Rankings →)
- Company Founded
- Mar 30, 1971 (Seattle, Washington)
- Known Aliases
- Howard D. Schultz
Tenure Milestones & Transition Timeline
Howard Schultz Acquires Starbucks Retail Company as CEO
Schultz purchased the retail unit and roasting plant of Starbucks for $3.8 million, unifying Il Giornale coffee bars with the brand.
Starbucks Completes Initial Public Offering on NASDAQ
Schultz guided Starbucks through its IPO at $17 per share under ticker SBUX, establishing a global standard for retail coffeehouses.
Howard Schultz Steps Down as CEO to Become Chief Global Strategist
Schultz concluded his 13-year inaugural tenure as CEO, handing leadership to Orin Smith while focusing on international store expansion.
Howard Schultz Returns as Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks
Starbucks's Board ousted Jim Donald and returned chairman Howard Schultz as CEO to orchestrate a dramatic retail turnaround.
Schultz Closes 7,100 U.S. Stores to Retrain 135,000 Baristas
Schultz took the bold step of closing every company-operated U.S. store for three hours to retrain baristas in espresso pulling and customer service.
Howard Schultz Announces Plan to Step Down as CEO in April 2017
Starbucks announced Schultz would step down as CEO on April 3, 2017 to become Executive Chairman, succeeded by COO Kevin Johnson.
Howard Schultz Steps Down as Starbucks Chief Executive Officer
Schultz formally concluded his second CEO tenure on April 3, 2017, having driven Starbucks shares up more than 600% during his return.
Related Leaders & Rankings
Historical and interim leadership succession at Starbucks Corporation.
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Compare against all 80 permanent executives in our database.