Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, November 2025 — Starbucks India has announced the appointment of Sakshee Sud as People Director & Head of Human Resources, marking a key addition to its leadership team as the company continues to expand its footprint and strengthen its people-first culture in India.
With over 15 years of progressive HR leadership experience across sectors such as FMCG, pharmaceuticals, telecom, banking, and technology, Sakshee brings a rich blend of strategic HR management, culture transformation, and leadership development expertise. In her new role, she will lead Starbucks India’s people and culture agenda, focusing on enhancing employee experience, developing leadership capabilities, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the organization.
Before joining Starbucks, Sakshee served as Director & Head – Human Resources at Beiersdorf (NIVEA), where she successfully led HR for corporate and global functions, along with serving as CoE Lead for Talent and DEI. Her leadership was pivotal in driving culture transformation, global talent development, and embedding purpose-driven initiatives across the organization.
Previously, she served as Group Talent Lead at CK Birla Group, where she spearheaded culture-building efforts across 11 group companies and helped achieve Great Place to Work (GPTW) certification under the “Nation Builders” category. Her earlier tenure at MSD, Vodafone India, ICICI Bank, and Infosys provided her with deep cross-industry exposure, enabling her to design and implement people strategies that balance business performance with employee well-being.
A forward-looking HR leader, Sakshee is widely recognized for her ability to create high-engagement workplaces, drive leadership development, and embed agile HR practices in dynamic business environments. Her appointment underscores Starbucks India’s commitment to nurturing an empowering, inclusive, and values-driven culture as it continues to grow across India.
About Starbucks India
Starbucks India, a 50:50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Consumer Private Limited, entered the Indian market in October 2012. Today, it operates 200+ stores across 15 cities including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai, employing over 2,000+ partners (employees).
Globally, Starbucks has been synonymous with bringing people together over coffee since 1971. Renowned as one of the world’s most recognized and loved coffee brands, Starbucks is committed to ethical sourcing, community connection, environmental stewardship, and fostering inclusive workplaces. In India, Starbucks continues to build on these values, creating a people-first workplace that celebrates its partners and customers alike.
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