Starbucks chief technology officer Deb Hall Lefevre has resigned after three-and-a-half years in the role.
According to an internal memo written by chief financial officer Cathy Smith and sent to corporate staff last week, as seen by Reuters, it is understood that there is not yet a permanent replacement for Lefevre.
However, senior vice president of global experience technology, Ningyu Chen, has been named as interim CTO.
The memo noted that Lefevre planned to retire. It added that Starbucks’ tech priorities “aren’t changing” and that it was “focused on the tech work needed to deliver our Back to Starbucks plan”.
The turnaround plan, launched by CEO Brian Niccol last September, aims to boost sales and address issues from long waiting times to frustrated staff.
In June, Niccol announced plans to roll out a new staffing model across 11,000 North American stores, putting more baristas front and centre to improve employee morale and the customer experience.
However, the latest change, unveiled last week, will see the coffee giant closing hundreds of shops and letting go 900 non-retail employees as part of an attempt to revive falling sales.
The cuts are mainly focused in the US and Canada, but will also include an unspecified number of closures in the UK.
The coffee chain will instead look to revive remaining locations by adding seating and electrical outlets to encourage customers to come more often and for longer.
The plan is expected to cost around $1bn (£750m) due to severance packages and long-term rental contracts.
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