Howard Behar's career in business spans over 50 years, all in consumer oriented businesses covering several industries. He retired from Starbucks Coffee Company after 21 years, where he led both the domestic business, as President of North America, and was the founding President of Starbucks International. During his tenure, he participated in the growth of the company from only 28 stores to over 15,000 stores spanning five continents. In addition, Behar helped establish the Starbucks culture, which stresses the importance of people over profits. He coached hundreds of leaders at every level and helped the company grow into a world-renowned brand.

A frequent speaker on the topics of organizational and personal leadership, Behar now serves on several Boards, including for-profit organizations such as Anna's Linens, Sterling Savings Bank, Education Elements and the advisory boards of Anthos Capital and Roadtrip Nation. His non-profit commitments are to the University of Washington Foundation and he is a Trustee for the Biller Family Foundation. He is also involved in the UW Business School mentoring program.

Behar is committed to the development and education of our future leaders and has been a longtime advocate of the Servant Leadership Model. He has also authored a book on leadership, titled It's Not About the Coffee.

Howard Behar presents inspiring keynotes and leads thought-provoking Q&A’s with large and small audiences, ranging from corporations to educational institutions to boards to governance groups and nonprofit organizations. He is committed to exchanging ideas and creating dialogue around the ways we lead ourselves and others in organizations today. He also addresses the role personal leadership plays in our individual lives.

Authors, Corporate Responsibility, CEO, Retail, Leadership, Business Leadership, Business, College, Corporate Governance, Corporate Strategy, Thought Leadership,