HOWARD BEHAR: FORMER PRESIDENT OF STARBUCKS NORTH AMERICA AND STARBUCKS INTERNATIONAL

Margit Watts, Past President of the Rotary Club of Honolulu Sunrise, met Howard Behar at the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership and arranged for him to speak at a joint luncheon with the Rotary Club of Honolulu. The event was held at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on June 21st. 

Howard Behar was the president of Starbucks' North American division and the founding president of Starbucks International. During his 21-year tenure, he participated in the growth of the company from 28 stores to over 15,000 stores spanning five continents.

At his presentation, Mr. Behar's discussed two founding principles behind Starbuck's success:

1) "Wear One Hat" 
Mr. Behar referred to a lesson he learned early in his Starbucks career that in order to be effective, he had to be true to himself. His advice holds true for companies also, and stresses the importance of defining the values of the organization--beyond making money.

 2) "Let the person who sweeps the floor choose the broom." 
By following the suggestions of a Los Angeles district manager, Mr. Behar launched one of the company's most profitable product lines: Frappuccino.

At the heart of Starbuck's success is their desire to inspire their employees and their customers.

To learn more about Howard Behar and his book, "It's Not About the Coffee," visit howardbehar.com.

Did you miss the event, click here to view the video.

Some of the Sunrise attendees: Carolyn Hiatt, Margit Watts, Dave Erdman, Allen Kamemoto, (Carolyn Hiatt again :) and Wendy Goodnow. Mahalo to Rita Cassella for these photos.