Tata Starbucks Names Sushant Dash As CEO Designate

Tata Starbucks is gearing up for a change of guard. Navin Gurnaney is set to move on from the CEO role to pursue an opportunity outside of the company. Following this, Sushant Dash will join Tata Starbucks as CEO Designate, effective April 1, 2021 and will take over as CEO on May 1, 2021. 

As per a Tata statement, under Gurnaney’s leadership, the company has experienced “accelerated growth, new city entries and store formats, numerous contributions related to social impact initiatives, as well as innovative product offerings”. 

Dash joins Tata Starbucks from Tata Consumer Products where he is currently President – Packaged Beverages Business, India, Bangladesh, and Middle East. Over the last 20 years with the Company, he has been instrumental in growing the branded tea business to its current leadership position. In 2012, Dash was on the core team that opened the first Tata Starbucks store in India and was directly responsible for the strategy and marketing of the Starbucks brand in the country.

“Navin has made significant contributions to the Tata Starbucks business in India, stepping up expansion and enhancing the customer experience. Navin has been a great asset to the Company and we wish him success in his future endeavours. We remain committed to growing the Tata Starbucks business and brand and are happy to bring in Sushant, with his strong marketing, operational and leadership experience to spearhead the next phase of growth,” commented Sunil D’Souza, MD & CEO, Tata Consumer Products Limited (TCPL).

Sara Trilling, President, Starbucks Asia Pacific added, “We want to recognize Navin for the impact he has made on the company, growing our portfolio to 216 stores across 17 cities and his commitment to innovative programs that elevate the partner (employees) experience. We are pleased to welcome Sushant, a recognized leader in growing retail businesses and brands through locally-relevant initiatives. India is a strategic market for Starbucks, and we remain committed to the long-term in the country.”