Starbucks CTO Deb Hall Lefevre has resigned, according to a report from Reuters, as the Seattle-based company navigates layoffs and various tech-related changes.
Hall Lefevre resigned without a permanent replacement, according to a memo sent to staff last week that was seen by Reuters.
Ningyu Chen, who was senior vice president of global experience technology, is now interim chief technology officer. Chen is based in Atlanta, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Starbucks last week announced plans to lay off around 900 non-retail employees and close underperforming stores mainly in the U.S. and Canada. Starbucks previously cut 1,100 corporate workers in February.
Under the leadership of CEO Brian Niccol, the former Chipotle CEO who joined the company last year, Starbucks is making a bevy of technology tweaks as it tries to curb slumping sales.
That includes a new algorithm for order sequencing; an overhaul of mobile ordering; sunsetting its pickup-only stores; a new AI assistant and point-of-sale system for baristas; and a new AI-powered inventory tracking system.
Hall Lefevre, who was also an executive vice president, joined Starbucks in 2022. She previously spent more than 16 years at McDonald’s, where she was a corporate vice president and CIO, leading the fast food giant’s technology and digital commerce strategy. She was also EVP and CTO at Circle K Stores.
Reuters reported that Starbucks’ IT division is increasingly relying on an outside contractor based in India.
