Katie Young

SVP, Global Growth and Development
Starbucks

Katie Young is senior vice president of global growth and development (store development) at Starbucks. She joined Starbucks in 2012 as a director of Food Strategy. She ran the $2B+ food P&L for several years, then launched the food innovation team. She most recently led the urban markets team (U.S. operations) focused on unlocking opportunities to improve profitability and customer and partner experience in highly complex metro markets, including the development of new store formats (e.g. Starbucks Pickup and Starbucks Curbside). She also currently sits on the boards of Global Washington and the NW chapter of Trust for Public Land.

Prior to Starbucks, Katie worked at McKinsey & Company, specializing in the social sector, CPG, and agribusiness. She was part of the team that developed the first-ever agriculture strategy for the Gates Foundation. Other strategy work included: food security for 16 countries and creating transformational frontline change for the Ethiopian Government’s 60,000 extension agents. Katie holds a Masters in Public Policy (MPP, International Development) from the University of Chicago and a Bachelors in Spanish and Honors Political Science from Kenyon College.