Restaurant India News: Anand Varadarajan to Lead Global Technology Operations at Starbucks

Starbucks has announced the appointment of Anand Varadarajan as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, following the retirement of Deb Hall Lefevre in September. Varadarajan will take over the role on January 19 and will join the company’s Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to CEO Brian Niccol. He will be responsible for leading Starbucks’ global technology operations.

Varadarajan joins Starbucks after spending nearly two decades at Amazon, where he worked across multiple large-scale technology and operations roles. Most recently, he led technology and supply chain systems for Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores business, supporting digital infrastructure across a complex and high-volume retail environment. His work focused on customer experience, operational speed, and system scalability.

In his new position at Starbucks, Varadarajan will oversee the development and management of the company’s secure and reliable technology platforms. His responsibilities include improving operational performance, expanding customer-facing digital capabilities across markets, and ensuring technology systems support the brand’s global retail and hospitality operations. Team development and leadership across Starbucks’ technology organisation will also form a core part of his mandate.

Prior to Amazon, Varadarajan held engineering and leadership roles at Oracle, Motorola Inc., Openwave Inc., Viquity Inc., and several early-stage technology companies. His background spans enterprise software, retail technology, and large-scale system architecture.

The appointment reflects Starbucks’ continued focus on technology-led operations, digital engagement, and backend efficiency as key drivers of scale and consistency across global markets. Varadarajan’s experience in managing complex retail technology systems is expected to support Starbucks’ long-term operational and digital strategy.