Starbucks names tech execs after CIO leaves for Best Buy

Starbucks named new chief digital and information officers in a bid to tie technology to customer service and overall experience. The moves come after Starbucks former CIO Stephen Gillett left to be the digital chief at Best Buy.

The company said that Adam Brotman was appointed chief digital officer. Curt Garner was named chief information officer. Brotman will report to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Garner will report to Troy Alstead, Starbucks' CFO. CIOs and technology execs are often viewed as more strategic if they report to the CEO. Both roles filled by Brotman and Garner were occupied by Gillett.

Based on reporting lines, Starbucks sees the digital experience as critical to its success.

Brotman was a senior vice president at Starbucks Digital Ventures. He's now in charge of Starbucks' Web, mobile, social media, e-commerce and loyalty efforts as well as the company’s Wi-Fi and digital networks.

The digital officer role for Brotman is notable since it is designed to meld Starbucks' digital and physical customer experiences. Brotman helped launch the Starbucks rewards program.

Garner's role will be to focus on Starbucks' technology infrastructure and engineering team. Garner will oversee retail technology, business intelligence, software development, security, finance systems and infrastructure across global units. Garner is a 14 year veteran at Starbucks and was most recently senior vice president of business technology.

At Best Buy, Gillett will report to CEO Brian Dunn. Gillett will be executive vice president and president, Best Buy Digital and Global Business Services. The position is new for Best Buy and will revolve around advancing the company's "global digital strategy, digital marketing, entertainment offerings, multi-channel capabilities and business development."