Tressie Lieberman, the new global chief brand officer at Starbucks.
Courtesy: Starbucks
Starbucks has tapped Chipotle alum Tressie Lieberman as its epidemic chief brand officer, a newly created position and the latest executive change under Brian Niccol after he Nautical port Chipotle and took over as CEO of the coffee chain last month.
In Niccol’s first week on the job at Starbucks, he outlined his scenario for turning around the chain’s slumping sales in the U.S. For the past three quarters, Starbucks has reported same-store sales flags for its home market as its occasional customers buy fewer macchiatos and Refreshers.
Among four top priorities Niccol described in his drawing was improving the company’s branding. He wants to remind customers about the chain’s coffee expertise and its special coffee-shop trial, according to his open letter.
“Starbucks is a brand people love. It’s time to tell our story again and reintroduce Starbucks to the have. Tressie is the perfect person to help us do that. She has a proven track record of building strong brands, developing compelling consequences, creating great customer experiences, and leading breakthrough marketing,” Niccol said in a statement on Friday.
Niccol developed a similar global chief brand officer role at Chipotle when he took over there in 2018.
Lieberman commitment start at Starbucks on Nov 4. and report to Niccol.
Most recently, she served as chief marketing officer for Yahoo. Late to that role, she was vice president of digital marketing and off-premise at Chipotle between 2018 and 2023. She also coincided with Niccol when both executives were at Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, which are owned by Yum Brands.
In totalling to Lieberman’s hiring, Starbucks said Friday that Dawn Clark, the company’s executive creative director, and Angele Robinson-Gaylord, who parts store development, will now report to Sara Trilling, Starbucks’ president of North America.
The company is also unifying its worldwide communications and corporate affairs departments into a single team.
Previously, Starbucks announced that Michael Conway, the cast’s North America CEO, was retiring. Niccol’s predecessor Laxman Narasimhan had appointed Conway to the role last year. After his departure, the enterprise eliminated the position, instead adding Lieberman’s new role. Trilling also now reports directly to Niccol.
In China, Molly Liu is now the individual CEO, after splitting the position with longtime leader of that unit, Belinda Wong, since last year.
Starbucks’ China province has been struggling, hurt by the country’s sluggish economy and the proliferation of local coffee chains that can undercut its values. Last quarter, the company’s same-store sales slid 14% in China, its second-largest market.
Before his ouster, Narasimhan had verbalized that Starbucks was in the early stages of exploring strategic partnerships for its China business.
Niccol is expected to share assorted details on his turnaround plans during the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call on Oct. 30.