Howard Schultz and Starbucks: Visionary

The leadership of Howard Schultz, the chairman and CEO of Starbucks, is optimistic, experimental, and compassionate.

Starbucks opened in Seattle in 1971. The original business was founded by friends Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker. All three loved coffee and decided to open a small shop to sell fresh-roasted gourmet beans and coffee accessories. While they encouraged customers to try the coffee, they did not sell coffee by the cup.

In 1981, a plastics salesman for Hammarplast named Howard Schultz entered the picture. Just a few years later he would begin his journey toward creating a billion-dollar global brand. Hammarplast made plastic drip-brewing thermoses that Starbucks used in its stores. ...

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