Indian origin Amazon Exec Anand Varadarajan named Starbucks CTO

Starbucks has appointed Indian-origin technology executive Anand Varadarajan as its new executive vice president and chief technology officer (CTO), bringing on board a nearly two-decade Amazon veteran to lead the coffee chain’s global technology operations.Varadarajan will assume charge on January 19 and join Starbucks’ Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol, the company said. He succeeds Deb Hall Lefevre, who retired in September.
At Amazon, Varadarajan spent close to 19 years building and scaling large, customer-focused technology platforms. Most recently, he oversaw technology and supply chain operations for Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores business, a role that involved managing complex systems supporting retail, logistics, and customer experience at scale. Earlier in his career, he worked as a software engineer at Oracle and was also associated with several startups.In a statement, Starbucks said Varadarajan brings deep expertise in developing secure and reliable technology systems and in scaling digital platforms to support operational excellence while keeping customers at the centre of product and service design. His experience is expected to play a key role as Starbucks continues to strengthen its digital capabilities across markets.
Varadarajan is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). He holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from Purdue University and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Washington.Starbucks added that the appointment is aimed at accelerating its technology initiatives globally, including enhancements across digital ordering, loyalty platforms, supply chain technology, and in-store systems, as the company continues to focus on efficiency and customer engagement across its global footprint.