Belinda Wong
Belinda helmed Starbucks China from 2011 to 2024, spearheading its transformation into one of the most well-loved brands in China. Her visionary leadership catalyzed unprecedented growth for over a decade, building a legacy characterized by robust brand equity, world-class infrastructure, and a distinctive partner (employee) culture that underpin the company’s enduring success.
Under her leadership, Starbucks expanded its retail footprint over 15-fold, reaching more than 7,500 company-owned stores across 1,000 cities, making China its largest international market. Belinda positioned Starbucks at the forefront of retail innovation, championing transformative digital initiatives that revolutionized retail operations and experiences, including creating an omni-channel business model that generated half of company sales, and developing a highly successful loyalty program with nearly 150 million members. She also built a robust infrastructure for long-term growth, launching the Yunnan Farmer Support Center in 2012, Starbucks first in the Asia Pacific, and the Starbucks China Coffee Innovation Park (CIP) in 2023, featuring the company’s largest coffee roasting facility outside the U.S. She also drove the inauguration of the Starbucks China Innovation and Technology Center in 2023, further accelerating the digitalization of Starbucks retail operations and omni-channel business.
Beyond business growth, Belinda translated Starbucks global values to 60,000 Chinese partners through innovating groundbreaking partner benefits that contributed to industry-leading retention and engagement. Her vision drove the establishment of the Beijing Starbucks Foundation, institutionalizing Starbucks commitment to uplift underprivileged communities across China. Belinda also pushed the envelope on sustainability, with the CIP housing Starbucks most energy-efficient coffee manufacturing and distribution center globally. In addition, she launched and expanded Starbucks portfolio of Greener Stores in China.
Belinda regularly appears on Forbes and Fortune’s lists of most powerful businesswomen. In 2020, she received the “Magnolia Gold Award” from the Shanghai Municipal Government for her contributions to the city’s development. Belinda is also an independent director for Hysan Development Company (0014.HK), and Canada Goose Holdings Inc (GOOS.NYSE), a role she previously held with Television Broadcasts Limited (00511.HK). She serves on the Faculty Advisory Board at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business and is a China Fellow of the Aspen Institute.