From A Starbucks Store to the Board Room: Advice On The Road to CHRO

On this episode of People Person, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Sara Kelly, EVP and Chief Partner Officer at Starbucks. Sara shares her unique journey to leading people ops at Starbucks, the principals that have guided her career, and the programs around education, parental leave, and retention that have kept Starbucks employees growing within the company.  00:00: Intro  02:00: The recipe for being a CHRO  06:50: Starbucks college education program  08:55: Sara’s journey from store to Chief Partner Officer 12:35: How her principals have informed her role  13:20: Implementing the Coffeehouse Coach program  15:45: How to grow in your role  18:15: Non-negotiables for executive roles  22:00: Advice for becoming a leader  26:50: Listening to employees to change benefits and Starbucks parental leave  This episode is presented by Leapsome. To learn more, visit: https://www.leapsome.com/request-a-demo For more on the Starbucks College Achievement Plan: https://about.starbucks.com/press/2026/starbucks-celebrates-nearly-20000-asu-graduates-and-counting/ For all upcoming HR Brew events: https://www.hr-brew.com/events  Subscribe to the HR Brew newsletter: https://www.hr-brew.com/subscribe Watch People Person on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@hr-brew Follow HR Brew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_brew/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hrbrew/ Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to peopleperson@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices People Person is a candid and conversational show where People Professionals can feel seen and heard, and learn from fellow experts in their field. Host and SVP, Head of People Operations at Morning Brew Inc, Kate Noel, brings years of expertise and a healthy sense of humor to discussions about the latest developments and insights that can help others enhance their workplace and their careers.  Biweekly episodes will feature Kate speaking with entertaining and experienced professionals about everything from holidays to healthcare, and AI to onboarding, in compelling episodes available everywhere you get your favorite Morning Brew podcasts.