Leadership - meet the new boss of Starbucks UK

Just catching up on some research on Starbucks and I came across this nice short interview with Kris Engskov who has recently taken over as Managing Director of Starbucks UK…

Interestingly, Engskov has a background in US politics. Indeed the article suggests that The West Wing’s Charlie Young character is said to be partly based on Engskov!

Some good data in the article, including a reference to Starbucks UK losses recently and the fact that Starbucks’ main competitor in the UK (Costa Coffee) is now more than twice its size.

There is also reference to the turnaround strategy implemented by Howard Schultz who returned as Starbucks CEO in 2008 and closed more than 1,000 branches around the world in an attempt to refocus the business.

Starbucks growth strategy for the UK is outlined, including plans to expand into “drive-thru” locations and develop sales into food service and grocery distribution channels.

Some nice quotes in the interview which suggest that Starbucks growth plans is not all about scale. I like the reference to “smart growth” (i.e. growth that makes sense - where there is sufficient and sustainable demand).