BRIAN NICCOL
CEO
STARBUCKS CORP.
WHY: CEO of Seattle-based Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) but keeps office in Newport Beach. Previously led Chipotle (NYSE: CMG) for six years; responsible for moving restaurant chain from Denver to Southern California and making it the most valuable publicly traded company based in OC with a $55B market cap as of October. Previously was CEO of Taco Bell.
IN THE NEWS: 2025 turnaround efforts include cutting 1.1K corporate employees at Starbucks, noting a need to “operate more efficiently” and “reduce complexity,” closing hundreds of underperforming stores and elevating the design of stores.
NOTABLE: Routinely meets with Scott Boatwright, CEO of Chipotle.
QUOTABLE: “I know these decisions impact our partners and their families, and we did not make them lightly. I believe these steps are necessary to build a better, stronger, and more resilient Starbucks that deepens its impact on the world and creates more opportunities for our partners, suppliers, and the communities we serve.” — Niccol on September store closures, layoffs
