Starbucks Poaches Amazon Veteran Anand Varadarajan for Global CTO Role

Starbucks Corp. appointed Anand Varadarajan as executive vice president and chief technology officer, effective January 19, 2026. CEO Brian Niccol announced the move as part of a strategic push to overhaul the coffee chain’s digital infrastructure and store operations.

Varadarajan joins after nearly 19 years at Amazon.com Inc., where he most recently led technology and supply chain divisions for Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh. His mandate focuses on modernizing the “Siren” retail platform and optimizing the digital customer journey. This leadership change aligns with Niccol’s broader initiative to streamline operations following his recent takeover as CEO.

Why it matters The coffee giant is doubling down on proprietary technology to solve operational bottlenecks. This move highlights a wider industry trend: successful scaling relies on owning the digital relationship with the customer. For independent operators, the widening tech gap emphasizes the urgent need for robust, direct-to-consumer platforms to compete with the efficiency of global chains.