Howard Schultz

Introduction

Howard Schultz

Howard Schultz is an American businessman and the former CEO of Starbucks. Schultz is widely recognized for his contribution in the growth and success of Starbucks, which is now one of the largest and most successful coffeehouse chains in the world.

Early Life and Education

• Howard Schultz was born on July 19, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York City. He was raised in a low-income family in the Bayview Housing projects in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Schultz attended Canarsie High School and later attended Northern Michigan University on a football scholarship. He earned a bachelor's degree in Communications in 1975.

Career

• After graduation, Schultz started working as a salesman for Xerox Corporation. Later, he joined a Swedish company called Hammarplast, which made kitchen equipment. In 1981, Schultz visited Seattle to check out Starbucks, which was a small coffeehouse chain. Schultz was impressed by the quality of the coffee and the experience at Starbucks, and he felt that the concept could be expanded nationwide.
• In 1982, Schultz joined Starbucks as the Director of Retail Operations and Marketing. After visiting Italy, Schultz felt inspired by the café culture and wanted to bring that to America. However, the founders of Starbucks were not interested in expanding beyond Seattle. In 1985, Schultz decided to leave Starbucks and start his own company, Il Giornale, which was later renamed Starbucks Corporation.
• Schultz’s vision for Starbucks was to create a third place between home and work, where people could go to relax and enjoy high-quality coffee. Schultz believed that coffee should be treated as a speciality product, like wine, and that the experience of drinking it should be elevated.
• Under Schultz’s leadership, Starbucks grew rapidly, expanding from 17 stores in 1987 to over 28,000 stores in 77 countries by 2018. Starbucks became known for its commitment to social responsibility, including initiatives such as ethical sourcing, community service, and employee benefits.

Stepping down

• In 2018, Schultz announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Starbucks. He remained with the company as executive chairman until 2019 when he announced he was leaving the company to explore a potential presidential run in 2020.

Personal Life

• Howard Schultz is married to Sheri Kersch Schultz and has two children. Schultz is a philanthropist and has donated to various charities and political campaigns.
• In addition to his work at Starbucks, Schultz has also authored several books, including "Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time" and "Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul."

Philanthropy and Political Activism

• Schultz is known for his philanthropy and political activism. He has supported a variety of causes, including veterans' rights, education, and healthcare. In 2015, Schultz launched the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which offers free college tuition to employees. Schultz has also been involved in politics, endorsing and fundraising for candidates from both major parties. In 2019, he announced his candidacy for the 2020 United States presidential election as an independent but suspended his campaign later that year.

Awards and Honors

• In 1998, Schultz was named Fortune Magazine's Businessperson of the Year.
• In 2011, Schultz was awarded the Bower Award for Business Leadership from the Franklin Institute.
• In 2016, he was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.

External Links

• Howard Schultz's official website

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