Howard Schultz
Biography
Former owner of the Seattle SuperSonics and chairman of Starbucks, Howard Schultz is credited with bringing the Italian-style expresso bar experience to the US.
Schultz joined Seattle’s Starbucks in 1982 but left to start his own company, Il Giornale, when Starbucks management rebuffed his marketing ideas to expand the company. In 1985, the original Starbucks management sold to Schultz and he immediately renamed Il Giornale, Starbucks, aggressively marketing the brand across the US.
Schultz is known not only for bringing the Italian coffee drinking experience to the US but for his strong stance on creating a supportive environment for employees in which they are valued.
Career Highlights
| 1975 | Graduated from Northern Michigan University |
| 1985 | Bought Seattle's Starbucks |
| 1992 | Starbucks listed as public company |
| 1998 | Co-founded investment group Maveron |
| 2001 | Bought Seattle SuperSonics basketball team |
| 2006 | Ranked 354th on Forbes list of wealthiest Americans |
| Sold Seattle SuperSonics | |
| 2007 | Won Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Award for Ethics in Business at Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame |
| Starbucks listed 16th on Forbes’ list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For"' |
