3. Accomplishments
• Graduated from Northern Michigan University on Football Scholarship with a B.S. in
Communications
• Rose to Director of Sales for Hammersplast a plastics company
• Identified opportunity with Starbucks and joined the company as Director of Retail and Marketing
• Saw the opportunity in Beverage (Milan Visit) and started his own coffee chain “Il Giornale” in
1985
• Purchased Starbucks with the help of investors in 1987 and renamed, company Starbucks Coffee
Company
• Built Starbucks to 17,600 stores in 2012, from less than 10
• Served on over 20 boards including Dreamworks SKG
• Co-Founded Private Equity Investment Company Maveron LLC.
• Starbucks opens a store every 12, attracting 44MM daily customers in company stores.
4. Howard Integrates 4-Way Wins
in the domains of his life
Community
Partnerships
Donations
Economy
• Family
Sherri
Jordan
Addison
Self
Reflection
Sports
Faith
Career
Passion
Authenticity
Transformative
5. Personal Story Defines Career Values:
“My father had a series of blue-collar jobs and never made more than
$20,000 a year. When I was seven, he got injured on a job. That was a very
important point - because of the injury, he couldn't walk, and the company he
was working for did not pay him. There was no compensation. So there was
no money and no food.”
"Other companies have announced that they won't provide
coverage for spouses; others are lobbying for the cut-off to be
at 40 hours. But Starbucks will continue maintaining benefits
for partners and won't use the new law as excuse to cut
benefits or lower benefits for its workers,“
Starbucks provides
health insurance to
ALL Part-time and
Full-time employees
“Being Real” Takeaway #1
6. “Being Whole” Takeaway #2
• Starbucks has a role and a meaningful relationship with
people that is not only about the coffee.
• " The lens in which we are making that decision is through
the lens of our people. We employ over 200,000 people in
this company, and we want to embrace diversity."
• "Treat people like family, and they will
be loyal and give their all. Stand by
people, and they will stand by you.”
• “If you feel, respectfully, that you can get a higher return than
the 38% you got last year, it’s a free country. You can sell your
shares in Starbucks and buy shares in another company. Thank
you very much.”
7. “Being Innovative” Takeaway #3
"What Starbucks has created around coffee is an extension of the
front porch. If you look at the UK, the English pub is an extension
of people's homes but for a different beverage. Our stores have
become a gathering and meeting place in addition to the coffee."
"While we are a coffee company at heart, Starbucks provides
much more than the best cup of coffee—we offer a community
gathering place where people come together to connect and
discover new things."
“It is no longer enough to serve customers, employees, and
shareholders. As corporate citizens of the world, it is our
responsibility — our duty — to serve the communities where we
do business by helping to improve, for example, the quality of
citizens’ education, employment, health care, safety, and overall
daily life, plus future prospects (2011)”
8. Total Leadership Takeaway #4
“Grow with
discipline. Balance
intuition with rigor.
Innovate around
the core. Don't
embrace the status
quo. Find new ways
to see” - Onward
“A great business
has to have a
conscience. You
have to know who
you are and who you
are not.”
“I believe life is a series of near
misses. A lot of what we ascribe
to luck is not luck at all. It's
seizing the day and accepting
responsibility for your future. It's
seeing what other people don't
see And pursuing that vision.”
