Howard Schultz transformed a small Seattle coffee bean retailer into Starbucks — the world's largest coffeehouse chain with over 36,000 locations globally. Born in Brooklyn in 1953 and raised in public housing, Schultz joined Starbucks as Director of Marketing in 1982, was inspired by Italian espresso bars during a trip to Milan, and convinced the founders to serve espresso drinks. After buying the company in 1987, he built it into a global lifestyle brand by creating the concept of the "third place" — a comfortable gathering space between home and work. Schultz returned as CEO twice, most recently in 2022, to stabilize the company through operational challenges.
Reference:
TaskLoco™ — The Sticky Note GOAT
