Starbucks appoints Mary Dillon to Board of Directors

Starbucks announced that Mary Dillon, CEO of Ulta Beauty, was elected to the Starbucks Board of Directors on Jan. 4 and she will serve on the Board’s Compensation and Management Development Committee.

“Mary shares our desire to deliver shareholder value while embracing the values and guiding principles that serve our people, our customers, and the neighborhoods where we do business, and we are honored to have her join the Starbucks Board of Directors,” said Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO.

“Mary’s proven track record for leveraging consumer insights and customer-focused strategies together with her leadership and passion for excellence make her the ideal addition to contribute to our next phase of growth as a company.”

Dillon led Ulta Beauty to 21 percent top-line growth and comparable sales growth of nearly 10 percent for fiscal year 2014. Ulta Beauty currently operates 875 stores in 48 states and a thriving e-commerce business making it the nation’s largest specialty beauty retailer.

"I am delighted to join the Starbucks Board of Directors,” said Dillon. “Starbucks and Ulta Beauty share many attributes: incredibly passionate customers, compelling loyalty programs, exciting growth strategies that put the customer at the center of all we do, and tremendous care for our people. I look forward to working with Howard Schultz, the Starbucks Board and leadership team to contribute to the future success of this great company.”

Prior to joining Ulta Beauty, Dillon served as president and CEO of U.S. Cellular. During her tenure, U.S. Cellular expanded its product and service offerings and strengthened new channels of distribution, while maintaining industry-leading customer satisfaction levels. Dillon previously served as global chief marketing officer and executive vice president for McDonald’s Corporation, where she led the company’s worldwide marketing efforts and global brand strategy, including a focus on children’s well-being initiatives. Prior to that, she served as president of PepsiCo’s Quaker Foods division.

Dillon serves on the Ulta Beauty Board of Directors and previously served on the Board of Directors for Target Corporation and U.S. Cellular.