SEATTLE — Starbucks said Wednesday that former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has been elected to serve on the company’s board.
The coffee giant said Gates, who is currently chancellor of the College of William & Mary in Virginia, will serve on the board’s nominating and corporate governance committee.
“We are honored and humbled to be adding this distinguished American leader to Starbucks Board of Directors,” CEO Howard Schultz said.
“Secretary Gates has devoted his life to serving our country and our next generation of leaders and public servants. His unique global perspective and more than four decades of distinguished public service will complement and strengthen our Board as we accelerate our global growth and expand our commitment to the communities where we do business all around the world,” he added in a press release.
The former defense chief will join an elite rank of corporate movers and shakers on Starbucks’ board including Schultz and J.C. Penney’s former chief executive and chairman, Myron E. Ullman III.
Gates welcomed the appointment by offering humorous praise for the Seattle-based chain, crediting Starbucks for helping him through his tenure at the Pentagon.
“I have Starbucks to thank for keeping me caffeinated through many long days and nights during my years in Washington and couldn’t be more proud about the opportunity to play a part in helping the company navigate our increasingly complex world in the years ahead,” he said.
Gates served as defense secretary from 2006 until June 2011, working under both former Republican President George W. Bush and his Democratic successor, President Barack Obama.
Shares in Starbucks slipped 0.5 percent early Wednesday in a largely downbeat session.