Starbucks appoints new general counsel

Starbucks has hired Rachel Gonzalez as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, reporting to president and CEO Kevin Johnson.

At Starbucks, Gonzalez will lead will lead the law and corporate affairs department, support the board of directors and serve as a member of the company’s executive leadership team. She was previously chief administrative officer for Sabre Corporation.

Paul Mutty, senior vice president and deputy general counsel, has been serving as interim leader for law and corporate affairs since Lucy Lee Helm, the company’s general counsel since 2012, became Starbucks chief partner officer last July.

In that former role, Gonzalez led a global team responsible for human resources, corporate communications, legal strategy, regulatory affairs, corporate compliance and government affairs. She joined Sabre in 2014 as executive vice president and general counsel.

A Sabre spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Earlier in her career, Gonzalez served as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary with Dean Foods in Dallas, Texas, and was previously senior vice president and group counsel with Affiliated Computer Services.

‘We are thrilled to welcome Rachel to the Starbucks family,’ Johnson says in a statement. ‘A leader with outstanding judgment and tremendous business acumen, Rachel is a terrific addition to Starbucks as we continue to accelerate our leadership position as a global brand with a rich heritage in coffee, long-standing values, and the responsibility to use our scale for good.’

‘I’m excited to support the company’s continued growth and evolution for partners, customers and shareholders around the world,’ Gonzalez says in a statement.