Howard Behar

Howard Bihar is a former director and founding president of Starbucks' international division who has made outstanding contributions. He worked at Starbucks for 21 years and served as a director for Starbucks for 12 years before retiring. Howard joined Starbucks in 1989 and served as the Executive Vice President of Starbucks Sales and Operations, as well as the President of Starbucks North America. As the founding president, he established Starbucks International, expanding the company's scale from 28 stores to the world's leading coffee industry leader with over 15000 chain stores in over 50 countries and regions. Starbucks was able to evolve from a little mermaid located in Seattle, USA to the Green Giant today, all of which stems from the company's exemplary leadership practices, and Howard was a great contributor to helping Starbucks establish a corporate culture that emphasizes the importance of people far beyond profits. As a guardian of Starbucks' spirit for many years, his people-oriented business secrets have directly influenced hundreds of leaders at all levels of Starbucks, helping them grow into world-class well-known brands. Today, Howard serves as a director of multiple profit and non-profit organizations, including Anna Linens, Sterling Savings Bank, Wild Ginger chain restaurant, EZ Grill barbecue supplies, etc. He is also a special advisor to Anthos Capital's private equity advisory committee. The non-profit organizations that Howard serves as directors include the University of Washington Foundation, the Robert Greenleaf Service Leadership Center, and the Washington Enterprise Alliance. Howard is currently committed to cultivating future leaders and has long advocated a service-oriented leadership model. His book 'Starbucks Everything Not Related to Coffee' has sold well worldwide.