SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Starbucks Corporation on Wednesday announced that Mellody Hobson will serve as the company's next non-executive chair of its board of directors starting in March 2021.
Hobson first joined the board as an independent director in 2005, and she was appointed as the board's independent vice-chair in 2018.
"Mellody has been a trusted advisor to me and the company for more than 20 years ... My heart is full and thankful that Starbucks will have Mellody's leadership as chair," said Howard Schultz, Starbucks' modern day founder and chairman emeritus.
"I look forward to working with the board and talented leadership team on accelerating our strategy, supporting our valued partners, and continuing to create significant value for all of our stakeholders," said Hobson.
In addition to serving over 15 years on the Starbucks board of directors, Hobson is the co-CEO of Ariel Investments, LLC, a global value-based asset management firm. She currently also serves as a director of JPMorgan Chase.
Earlier this year, Starbucks joined the Board Diversity Action Alliance, which advocates for the representation of racially and ethnically diverse corporate boards. As of September, Starbucks' board is 46 percent people of color and 39 percent female, the company said. Enditem
