Starbucks has named Anand Varadarajan as its new chief technology officer following Deb Hall Lefevre’s retirement in September. He will assume the role of CTO and executive vice president starting January 19, 2026. Varadarajan will also join Starbucks’ Executive Leadership Team and lead the Starbucks Technology organisation, reporting directly to CEO Brian Niccol. In the interim, Ningyu Chen is serving as acting CTO.
Professional Background of Anand Varadarajan
Anand Varadarajan, of Indian origin, spent nearly 19 years at Amazon, most recently as Vice President of Worldwide Grocery Technology and Supply Chain. During his tenure, he led technology, science, product, and marketing teams for Amazon Private Brands and contributed to software engineering projects at Oracle and multiple startups.
Education and Personal Interests
Varadarajan holds an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), a master’s in civil engineering from Purdue University, and a master’s in computer science from the University of Washington. Outside work, he is an avid runner aiming to complete all seven World Marathon Majors and enjoys starting his day with Starbucks coffee and egg bites.
Starbucks’ Tech-Focused Shift
His appointment comes amid Starbucks’ “Back to Starbucks” digital initiative led by CEO Brian Niccol. The transition follows significant restructuring, including layoffs of around 900 non-retail employees and closures of underperforming stores in the US and Canada, building on prior cuts of 1,100 corporate roles earlier this year. The tech-focused overhaul aims to modernize Starbucks’ operations and accelerate its digital transformation.
