Starbucks Welcomes Anand Varadarajan as New CTO

Exciting changes are happening at Starbucks as the company announces Anand Varadarajan, an Indian-origin technology leader, as its new Chief Technology Officer.

Set to begin on January 19, Varadarajan will be integral to the top leadership team, directly reporting to the CEO. He takes on this pivotal role following the retirement of the previous technology head in September.

With nearly two decades of experience at Amazon, Varadarajan has a robust background in technology. He specialized in building extensive and dependable systems utilized by millions of customers. His last position at Amazon was overseeing technology and supply for the global grocery arm.

Prior to his tenure at Amazon, he began his career as a software engineer at Oracle and worked with several startups, obtaining practical know-how in technology development.

Starbucks highlighted Varadarajan's extensive expertise in developing secure and effective digital systems, believing it will enhance operational efficiency and elevate customer service worldwide.

Educated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Varadarajan holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from Purdue University alongside another master’s in computer science from the University of Washington.

His appointment is anticipated to accelerate Starbucks' digital transformation and strengthen its global technology infrastructure, as the company is increasingly prioritizing seamless digital interactions and customer experiences.

With Anand Varadarajan stepping in as CTO, Starbucks is poised to advance its technological capabilities while keeping customer satisfaction at the forefront of its agenda.