Kevin Johnson

Kevin R. Johnson (born October 9, 1960) is an American businessman and software engineer who was the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Starbucks Coffee Company from 2017 to 2022. Succeeding Howard Schultz as CEO, Johnson previously was the company's president and chief operating officer from 2015 to 2017. On March 16, 2022, Johnson announced that he was stepping down as CEO, Schultz would take over as CEO in the interim. Johnson joined the board of directors of Goldman Sachs in late 2022.

Born in Gig Harbor, Washington, Johnson was raised in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He graduated from New Mexico State University in 1981 before embarking on a career in software development. Johnson first worked as a systems engineer at IBM during the late-1980s, before moving to Microsoft in 1992 and was appointed to lead its worldwide sales, marketing and services in 2003. After one of his earliest clients, Starbucks, needed wireless internet in their stores, Johnson first met Schultz. Working closely with Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer and founder Bill Gates, Johnson was a member of the senior leadership team. Johnson left Microsoft during the 2008 financial crisis and was chief executive of Juniper Networks from September 2008 to January 2014.

Johnson first joined Starbucks in September 2009 as a board member after which Schultz asked him to take a greater role at the firm. He was subsequently appointed chief operating officer for two years before becoming chief executive. Under his tenure, Starbucks has streamlined its core business, managed corporate programs to address racial inequality in the U.S., and revamped its product suite horizontally, particularly in espresso machine manufacturing and technological innovation. Outside of his professional career, Johnson served under U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama on the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC), a national cybersecurity task force.

Early life and education Born on October 9, 1960, in Gig Harbor, Washington, Johnson later moved to and was raised in Los Alamos, New Mexico, with his siblings. His mother, Carol, was a pediatric nurse at the Children's Clinic of Los Alamos, while his father Jim worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a theoretical physicist. Johnson graduated from Los Alamos High School in 1978. He received an honorary Doctor of Letters from NMSU in 2017. At IBM he also worked as a software developer in the petroleum and financial services industries.

Microsoft

Johnson joined Microsoft in 1992, working in global technical support and, later, sales and marketing. In 2001, he led the rollout of Microsoft wireless internet in Starbucks stores, spearheading its "revamped online search and advertising strategy," regarded as crucial to competing with Google's online search tools. On the Senior Leadership Team, he became one of six executives along with Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates who oversaw strategy for Microsoft.

Juniper In September 2008, Johnson became CEO of Juniper Networks, in Sunnyvale, California.

In July 2013, Juniper Networks announced that Johnson would step down as CEO and planned to retire. He continued as CEO while a search for a new CEO was conducted. In January 2014, he was succeeded as Juniper CEO by Shaygan Kheradpir.

Starbucks First joining Starbucks in 2009, Johnson served as president and COO from 2015 to 2017. Following the resignation of Howard Schultz, Johnson was appointed his successor; he served as CEO from 2017 to 2022. Johnson became president and COO of Starbucks in March 2015, remaining on its board. and worked with Schultz on a five-year strategic plan for the company, released in December 2016. In December 2016 it was announced that Howard Schultz would step down as CEO of Starbucks, and in April 2017 that he had personally recruited Johnson to be his successor. On April 3, 2017, also remaining president. By 2018, he had implemented a number of changes, including the rollout of mobile ordering and pickup, and a global distribution deal with Nestle. For $7.15 billion, Nestle agreed to market Starbucks products outside of Starbucks stores in countries such as the US and China, Under Johnson, Starbucks acquired 100% of its East China joint venture for $1.3 billion. He also closed Teavana stores and the e-commerce unit, and sold Tazo to Unilever for $384 million. and the Philadelphia police commissioner to arrange a settlement. Johnson was "widely praised" then for also closing all United States stores for racial-bias training. Under Johnson, in 2018 and 2019, the company began developing biodegradable lids, straws, and cups, and partnered with UberEATS and Alibaba to deliver in the United States and China. The Financial Times reported, in 2018, that "colleagues credit [Johnson's] tech background with helping Starbucks outpace other retailers in mobile ordering and payments."

In January 2019, it was reported that Johnson was scaling down several of Schultz's initiatives from two years prior, including testing of Starbucks Reserve Roastery cafes. According to The Wall Street Journal, that "discipline" had also resulted in slowed store growth in the United States, and that Johnson was "working to improve customer service, pushing the company to develop more innovative beverages and expanding its reach in China." Johnson supports raising the federal minimum wage, announcing in 2021 that the company would mark its 50th anniversary in 2022 by increasing wages to a minimum of $15 per hour for all U.S. employees. Other than during the COVID-19 pandemic, company sales increased annually during his tenure. Johnson informed Starbucks in early 2021 that he was considering retirement as the pandemic wound down. In March 2022, the company announced that he would retire as CEO and as a director that April, continuing as an advisor through September. However, employees reported that Starbucks was forcing baristas to take responsibility for customer-service problems caused by other issues like understaffed stores, an increasing demand from mobile and drive-thru orders, and time-intensive drinks. Essentially, they were ordered to find a way to improve the customer experience — or quit the company.

The proposal included a one-time bonus award of $1.86 million for the 2020 fiscal year. The reason for the rejection of the proposal was that Starbucks hadn’t explained adequately why the long-term award is made in cash and that the frequency of the one-time awards is concerning. Glass Lewis also recommended the vote against because Starbucks "paid [its CEO] moderately more than its peers, but performed worse". Between 2017 and 2019, he received $44.1 million in total compensation.

Government and advisory roles In 2008, Johnson was appointed by George W. Bush to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC), where he served under Bush and Barack Obama.

He has been an advisor to Catalyst, an organization dedicated to women's career advancement.

Personal life Johnson and his wife, June, have two sons Johnson is active in basketball, boating, golfing, skiing, and hiking.