Howard Behar is the former president of Starbucks Coffee Company North America and Starbucks Coffee International. He joined Starbucks in 1989 when the company had just begun to venture outside the Northwest region. Initially serving as vice president of sales and operations, he grew the retail business from 28 stores to more than 400 stores by the time he was named president of Starbucks Coffee International in 1995. Under Behar’s leadership, Starbucks opened its first location in Tokyo in 1996. Following this historic opening, over the next three years he introduced the Starbucks brand across Asia and the United Kingdom. After a two-year hiatus, he returned to Starbucks as President of Starbucks North America until his retirement in January 2003. He was a director of the Company from 1996 to 2008.
Howard Behar began his career in the furniture business where he discovered it was the people he loved, not the furniture. His sense of the customers as people, his concern for their needs, and his experience of being a part of people’s dreams for their homes and their lives helped him make the next successive moves in his retail career.
A frequent speaker on the topics of organizational and personal leadership, Mr. Behar serves on several profit and nonprofit boards, including Anna’s Linens, The Gap, Inc., Jewish Family Service of Seattle, and the Washington State Budget and Policy Center, and he is sponsoring a joint educational initiative with the University of Washington School of Social Work and the Business School. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Lynn, and he loves boating and spending time with his children and young grandchildren.
Quick Reference Card
Domestic Keynote Fee Range*:
Perfect for:
• Know Who You Are: Wear One Hat
• Know Why You're Here: Do It Because It's Right, Not Because It's Right for Your Resume
• Think Independently: The Person Who Sweeps the Floor Should Choose the Broom
• Build Trust: Care, like You Really Mean It
• Take Action: Think like a Person of Action, and Act like a Person of Thought
*Speaker fees vary based on event location, program duration and other factors, and are subject to change without notice. Please contact us for an accurate fee quote for your event.
Howard Behar is the former president of Starbucks Coffee Company North America and Starbucks Coffee International. He joined Starbucks in 1989 when the company had just begun to venture outside the Northwest region. Initially serving as vice president of sales and operations, he grew the retail business from 28 stores to more than 400 stores by the time he was named president of Starbucks Coffee International in 1995. Under Behar’s leadership, Starbucks opened its first location in Tokyo in 1996. Following this historic opening, over the next three years he introduced the Starbucks brand across Asia and the United Kingdom. After a two-year hiatus, he returned to Starbucks as President of Starbucks North America until his retirement in January 2003. He was a director of the Company from 1996 to 2008.
Howard Behar began his career in the furniture business where he discovered it was the people he loved, not the furniture. His sense of the customers as people, his concern for their needs, and his experience of being a part of people’s dreams for their homes and their lives helped him make the next successive moves in his retail career.
A frequent speaker on the topics of organizational and personal leadership, Mr. Behar serves on several profit and nonprofit boards, including Anna’s Linens, The Gap, Inc., Jewish Family Service of Seattle, and the Washington State Budget and Policy Center, and he is sponsoring a joint educational initiative with the University of Washington School of Social Work and the Business School. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Lynn, and he loves boating and spending time with his children and young grandchildren.
It's Not About the Coffee
Howard Behar presents keynotes and leads thought-provoking Q&As with large and small audiences. Howard is committed to exchanging ideas and creating dialogue around the ways we lead ourselves and others in organizations today. He also addresses the role personal leadership in our individual lives. He speaks to corporate audiences, educational institutions, boards and governance groups, and nonprofit organizations seeking to challenge and inspire themselves.
Howard helped us put our values into action. If you follow just some of the principles in this book, you will be a wiser, more effective, and more successful human being and leader. There is no better teacher than Howard Behar. — Howard Schultz, Founder and Chairman of Starbucks
