Brian Niccol

Some Lesser Known Facts About Brian Niccol

• In 1996, he joined Procter & Gamble in the United States as a brand manager and represented ThermaCare for two years.

•  He represented the company Pringles in December 2002.

• In November 2005, he joined Yum! Brands in the United States as the vice president of strategic marketing and worked until September 2007.

• Thereafter, he helped to increase sales and improve market share at Yum’s Pizza Hut. He also helped the company during the Great Recession and introduced digital marketing strategies for the company.

• In 2007, he joined Pizza Hut in the United States as a chief marketing officer and worked until February 2011.

• In February 2011, he was promoted to the general manager role in Pizza Hut USA.

• In October 2011, he joined Taco Bell in California as chief marketing and innovation officer and worked until May 2013.

• In May 2013, he became the president of Taco Bell and worked until January 2015.

• In January 2015, he became the chief executive officer of Taco Bell in California and worked until February 2018.

• Thereafter, he then made plans to attract Millennials and future generations by introducing open kitchens in restaurants, creating smaller units for urban areas, and using eco-friendly packaging.

• In 2018, Chipotle Mexican Grill suffered a loss when multiple food poisoning cases happened that sickened 1,100 people in the United States. Due to this, the company wanted him to become the chief executive officer and help the company.

• In February 2018, he became the chief executive officer of Chipotle Mexican Grill and worked until 31 August 2024. During his tenure at the company, the revenue increased eight times, and he also increased the salaries and employee benefits of the retail staff.

  

• In 2019, he was listed in Bloomberg’s People Who Defined 2019 and Comparably’s Best CEOs.

• In 2019, he was listed among The Bloomberg 50 and became the Fortune’s Businessperson of the Year.

• He maintains his fitness by working out at the gym.

• He likes playing golf.

  

• In 2020, he was listed among the University of Chicago Booth School of Business’s Distinguished Alumni.

• In 2021, he was listed among the Eating Wells’s American Food Heroes.

• According to sources, in 2023, his total income was 38 million dollars, which came from his base salary, stock options, and performance-based bonuses that he earned while working at Chipotle Mexican Grill.

• In August 2024, he was announced as the incoming chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks in the United States, replacing Mellody Hobson and Laxman Narasimhan.

• After the announcement, the shares of the company rose by 24.5%. According to sources,  he received a $10 million starting bonus.

• Before serving on the board of directors of Walmart Inc. in 2024, he had served for KB Home and Harley Davidson.

•  On 9 September 2024, he took over the post of the CEO of Starbucks.