Starbucks North America CEO Michael Conway has announced his retirement five months into the new role. The announcement comes one week after new company CEO Brian Niccol published plans to strengthen the brand’s presence in the United States (US).
Conway joined Starbucks in 2013 and has since held numerous leadership positions, including President of Starbucks Canada and President of International and Channel Development. He accepted the role of North America CEO in April 2024 as part of former CEO Laxman Narasimhan’s geographic leadership plan.
The promotion made Conway responsible for Starbucks’ 16,370 stores in the US and 1468 locations in Canada, and came as lower footfall and like-for-like sales in Starbucks’ home market contributed to a fall in second quarter sales and earnings.
Starbucks updated its company website with the announcement, stating Conway chose to retire from 16 September 2024 but would remain with the company as an Executive Advisor until 1 December 2024.
It has been reported that Starbucks will not seek to replace Conway, with North American President Sarah Trilling assuming his responsibilities and reporting directly to Niccol.
Niccol’s 100-day plan looks to re-establish Starbucks as a ‘welcoming coffeehouse’ by reducing menu complexity, as well as improving customer experience and store efficiency.
