Starbucks has appointed Anand Varadarajan as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), strengthening the company’s global technology leadership with a seasoned, customer-focused technology executive of Indian origin. Varadarajan will join Starbucks’ Executive Leadership Team on January 19, 2026, reporting directly to CEO Brian Niccol. He succeeds Deb Hall Lefevre, who retired in September.

Varadarajan brings nearly two decades of experience at Amazon, where he played a pivotal role in building and scaling large-scale, customer-centric technology platforms. Most recently, he led technology and supply chain systems for Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores, driving operational resilience, scalability, and innovation across complex global environments.

Starbucks said Varadarajan’s deep expertise in secure, scalable enterprise systems, coupled with his strong understanding of supply chain and digital platforms, will be critical in advancing the company’s technology roadmap. His appointment is expected to accelerate Starbucks’ digital transformation efforts, enhance customer experiences, and strengthen technology-enabled operations across global markets as the company continues to evolve as a digitally driven brand.