Who was the CEO of Starbucks from 1987 to 2000 and again later?

Howard Schultz was the Starbucks CEO from the late 1980s to 2000 and returned to the role in 2008. He later served another CEO term from 2008 to 2017, plus a brief interim term in 2022–2023.

Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982 after encountering the company while working in coffee-equipment sales. Inspired by Italy’s espresso bars, he left to establish Il Giornale. In 1987, Il Giornale acquired Starbucks’ retail operations, and Schultz became the company’s leader as it expanded nationally and internationally.

He stepped down as CEO in 2000 and was succeeded by Orin Smith. During Schultz’s absence, Starbucks continued growing, but the company faced a severe downturn in the mid-2000s. He returned in January 2008 during the financial crisis, closed underperforming stores, retrained baristas, and pushed renewed attention to the customer experience.

Kevin Johnson later succeeded Schultz in 2017. Schultz’s name is therefore tied to Starbucks’ expansion, but he did not found the original coffee company; the first Starbucks store was opened in Seattle in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker.