Dive Brief:
- Starbucks hired Anand Varadarajan to replace outgoing Chief Technology Officer Deb Hall Lefevre, CEO Brian Niccol announced Friday. Varadarajan will start with the coffee chain on Jan. 19.
- Varadarajan joins the chain from Amazon, where he spent nearly two decades “building technology that puts customers first and helps teams move with speed and agility,” according to Niccol’s announcement. Varadarajan will lead the tech organization and report to Niccol.
- Lefevre reportedly departed from the company in September in conjunction with a series of non-retail layoffs, the elimination of open positions and impending store closures. “After an incredible journey leading technology and digital transformation across some of the world’s most iconic brands including Starbucks, Circle K/Couche Tard and McDonald’s, it’s time to step into retirement,” she said in a LinkedIn post.
Dive insight:
Lefevre’s departure in September followed more than three years with the coffee chain, a tumultuous period that saw the chain adopt and abandon a variety of tech plays.
For example, in 2022 the chain launched a marketplace for non-fungible tokens — digital badges then in vogue as a potential loyalty play — only to shutter it 18 months later. After a long period of emphasizing mobile-order-and-pay, Starbucks closed down its mobile-only stores earlier this year as part of a broader return to on-premises emphasis.
One of the most substantial tech changes at Starbucks recently has been the development of a mobile-order sequencing algorithm intended to reduce operational bottlenecks and improve cafe speed of service.
In a recent discussion at the Wall Street Journal CEO Forum, Niccol said that Starbucks planned to subordinate technological innovation to the customer experience.
The announcement is thematically similar, with Niccol noting Varadarajan’s time building tech focused on improving the customer experience.
“He knows how to create systems that are reliable and secure, drive operational excellence and scale solutions that keep customers at the center,” Niccol said.
Varadarajan held responsibility for tech at both Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh; the tech giant spent much of 2025 deepening the integration between its Whole Foods unit and the rest of its tech ecosystem.
