Laxman Narasimhan was born and raised in Pune.
Starbucks Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Laxman Narasimhan recently revealed his favourite drink at the coffee chain, which has an Indian connection. In an interview with Fortune, Mr Narasimhan said that his "favourite go-to drink" at Starbucks is the Doppio Espresso Macchiato with some hot milk on the side. He expressed that the drink reminded him of the coffee he used to have in India. Notably, the 56-year-old was born and raised in Pune. He moved to the United States in the early 1990s to study and work there.
"My favourite go-to drink at Starbucks is the Doppio Espresso Macchiato with some hot milk on the side," Mr Narasimha told the outlet, adding that he prefers his coffee with skim milk. "It's a way for me to replicate the taste of South Indian coffee here in the US," he said.
According to Fortune, Mr Narasimhan's beverage isn't expensive. It costs just $3.35 (around Rs 280), which is on the lower end for the coffee chain, whose prices can cost as much as $5.95 for a seasonal pumpkin spice frappacino.
In the interview, Mr Narasimhan also revealed that Starbucks' whiskey barrel-aged Guatemalan coffee "amazingly surprised" him. "It has no alcohol in it. It has a cube of ice. And it's a wonderful drink that's available in our roasteries, and I've enjoyed that deeply," he said.
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Laxman Narasimhan was named CEO of Starbucks in 2022. He succeeded the founder of the company Howard Schultz. The 56-year-old has around 30 years of experience in leading global businesses and restaurants, e-commerce, and advising retain companies.
Before joining Starbucks, Mr Narasimhan was the CEO of Reckitt, a multinational consumer health, hygiene, and nutrition company. He also held various executive positions at PepsiCo. Mr Narasimhan worked at McKinsey & Company for 19 years and advised companies across various industries including consumer goods, retail and healthcare in the US, India and Asia.
Mr Narasimhan obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pune and did Master's of Arts in German and International Studies from the Lauder Institute, The University of Pennsylvania. He also holds an MBA degree in Finance from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.