Some investors were unhappy with that move, saying Starbucks should have had a more robust succession plan in place when former CEO Kevin Johnson retired last April. “I’ve loved and learned so much about the retail experience from working in our stores, and can now make an excellent French press if I do say so myself.” I wanted to really understand what they do and how they do it,” Narasimhan said in comments emailed to The Associated Press. “I felt it was very important to start as a barista. The former PepsiCo executive has spent the last six months immersing himself in Starbucks, earning his barista certification as well as visiting stores, farms and manufacturing centers across the world.

Narasimhan, 55, issued the letter just prior to the company’s annual meeting, which was held virtually. DoorDash CEO Tony Xu and his executive team make DoorDash deliveries once a month, for example. Having a CEO work in stores is new for Seattle-based Starbucks, but not unprecedented among big companies. “We must care for the artists and the theater in the front of our stores and the factory in the back.” “While our performance is strong, our health needs to be stronger,” Narasimhan wrote in the letter. Narasimhan, who took the reins as CEO earlier this week, said in a letter to Starbucks’ employees Thursday that he also expects the company’s leadership team to be connected and engaged in stores. Starbucks’ new CEO Laxman Narasimhan says he plans to work a half-day shift once a month in one of the company’s stores in an effort to stay close to its culture and customers.

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