Laxman Narasimhan
Laxman Narasimhan (born 15 May 1967)[1] is an Indian-American business executive, and the chief executive officer of Starbucks.
Laxman Narasimhan | |
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![]() Narasimhan in 2017 | |
Born | Pune, India | 15 May 1967
Education | College of Engineering, Pune (BTech) University of Pennsylvania (MA, MBA) |
Title | CEO, Starbucks |
Predecessor | Howard Schultz (acting) Kevin Johnson |
Children | 2 |
He was chief commercial officer (CCO) of PepsiCo, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Reckitt. He joined Starbucks as interim CEO in October 2022, and succeeded Howard Schultz as CEO in April 2023.[2][3]
Early life
Narasimhan was born on May 15, 1967 in Pune, India into a Maharashtrian Hindu family.[1][4] He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering, Pune, an MA in German and International Studies from The Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania.[5][6]
Career
Narasimhan worked for McKinsey for 19 years until 2012, rising to director and location manager for their New Delhi office.[5] In 2012, he joined PepsiCo, rising to chief commercial officer.[5]
Narasimhan succeeded Rakesh Kapoor as CEO of Reckitt Benckiser in September 2019,[6][7] formulating a turnaround plan which was intended to rejuvenate the company "following a series of missteps and lacklustre growth that marked the final years of his predecessor".[8] However, in September 2022 the company unexpectedly announced his resignation, citing "personal and family reasons".[9]
On September 1, 2022, Starbucks announced that Narasimhan would become the company's next CEO.[2] He succeeded Howard Schultz, who had been interim CEO since Kevin Johnson resigned in March 2022.[3][10]
Personal life
Narasimhan is married, with two children, and lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.[11] He speaks six languages.[6]
References
- "Reckitt boss Laxman Narasimhan: Growing up in India, you learn resilience". The Times. 1 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- "Starbucks Names Laxman Narasimhan as Next Chief Executive Officer". Starbucks Stories. Starbucks Corporation. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
Starbucks [...] today announced that Laxman Narasimhan will become the company's next chief executive officer and a member of the Starbucks Board of Directors.
- Sorkin, Andrew Ross; Merced, Michael J. de la (2022-09-01). "Starbucks names a new chief executive". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
- "Friends recall next Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan beyond business, Pune roots". The Times of India. 2022-09-03. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
- "Laxman Narasimhan". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- O'Dwyer, Michael (12 June 2019). "Reckitt poaches Pepsi executive as new boss". Retrieved 14 June 2019 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- "The Board – RB". www.rb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-18.
- Evans, Judith; Wembridge, Mark (1 September 2022). "Reckitt Benckiser chief Laxman Narasimhan to step down". Financial Times. London. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- "Laxman Narasimhan steps down as CEO". Reckitt. Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
Reckitt Benckiser Group plc ("Reckitt") today announces that its CEO, Laxman Narasimhan will step down as Chief Executive Officer on September 30, 2022. Laxman has decided for personal and family reasons to relocate back to the United States and has been approached for an opportunity that enables him to live there.
- "Starbucks's new CEO will work in cafes once a month". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- "Laxman Narasimhan". outstanding50award. Retrieved 23 September 2019.