If Howard Schultz has a go-to executive, Michelle Gass is it.
When Schultz returned as Starbucks’ CEO two years ago, he quickly snatched her away from marketing and product oversight to serve in his new, two-person “Office of the CEO,” which meant talking strategy and next steps with him one-on-one.
“We were courageous and disruptive,” Gass says of that effort. “I felt unleashed, with his energy and vision and willingness to be courageous. For someone like me who thrives on that, it was like, ‘Wow! This is going to be a ride.’ ”
After their turnaround plan jelled, Gass orchestrated some of the chain’s biggest moves — including putting together teams to launch Starbucks’ loyalty-card program and its instant coffee.