Starbucks appoints ex-Chipotle exec as first global chief brand officer

Dive Brief:

Starbucks has appointed Tressie Lieberman as the chain’s first global chief brand officer, according to details shared with Marketing Dive. The executive was most recently CMO at Yahoo and previously worked for Chipotle, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Nation’s Restaurant News first reported the news.
Lieberman will oversee marketing, product, digital, creative and data analytics and insights in the role, which she will begin on Nov. 4. The brand previously announced plans to hire a global chief brand officer to ensure “a compelling and consistent brand experience across every customer touchpoint.”
CEO Brian Niccol, who worked with Lieberman during previous roles, joined Starbucks in August and has worked to turnaround the brand. The company sunset its global CMO role in March as part of a previous executive shake-up.

Dive Insight:

Starbucks continues its executive and marketing shake-up with the appointment of its first global chief brand officer. New CEO Niccol’s four-part strategy for turning around the struggling brand includes reestablishing the chain as a community coffeehouse and better telling its story — two pillars that will likely be part of Lieberman’s purview. The executive has a “proven track record” around building brands, developing products, improving customer experiences and creating breakthrough marketing, Niccol said in a statement.

Since coming on as CEO in August, Niccol has taken several moves to prepare Starbucks for a turnaround. When announcing the planned retirement of CEO of North America Michael Conway, Starbucks said it would create a global chief brand officer to deliver “a compelling and consistent brand experience across every customer touchpoint,” per Bloomberg. Niccol created a similar role when he was CEO of Chipotle.

Tressie Lieberman, global chief brand officer at Starbucks

Courtesy of Starbucks

Before her year-plus stint at Yahoo, Lieberman served as vice president for digital marketing and off-premise at Chipotle for more than five years. Previously, she served in a variety of roles around digital marketing — a professional strength, per her LinkedIn — at Yum Brands chains Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Much of her time at the restaurant chains overlapped with Niccol's stints at the companies.

Lieberman will not be alone in writing that next chapter. Starbucks last week handed U.S. creative duties to WPP, which will form a bespoke unit to work on the coffee chain’s business. Team Starbucks draws on talent from WPP shops Ogilvy, VML and Landor.

Starbucks has continued to miss financial expectations. The chain’s U.S. comparable sales declined 2% during fiscal Q3 2024, with a 6% traffic decrease offset by a 4% higher ticket average. Starbucks will release its fourth quarter and full fiscal year results on Oct. 30.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include details from Starbucks.