Which CEO led Starbucks through its global expansion from 1987 to 2000?

Howard Schultz led Starbucks through its major global expansion from 1987 to 2000.

Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982 after becoming impressed by its coffee-bean stores in Seattle. Inspired by Italian espresso bars, he left to establish Il Giornale in 1986. In 1987, he bought Starbucks' retail business and adopted the Starbucks name, turning the company into a coffeehouse chain rather than simply a coffee-bean retailer.

Under Schultz, Starbucks expanded across the United States, went public in 1992, and began building an international presence. The company's 1999 opening in Beijing marked an important step in its overseas growth. Schultz promoted Starbucks as a “third place” between home and work, helping popularize café culture and standardized specialty coffee in the United States.

Orin Smith is a common mix-up because he succeeded Schultz as CEO in 2000 and helped continue the company's expansion. Kevin Johnson led Starbucks much later, from 2017 to 2022. Schultz also returned as CEO from 2008 to 2017 and served as interim CEO from 2022 to 2023, but the original expansion era points to him.