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Laxman Narasimhan Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth15 April 1967

Age57 Years (as of 2024)

BirthplacePune, Maharashtra, India

ProfessionBusiness Executive

NationalityIndian American

Marital statusMarried

FamilyTwo children; mother a teacher, father a businessman (father died when he was very young)

Laxman Narasimhan Biography

Indian American business executive Laxman Narasimhan rose through management and leadership roles at McKinsey, PepsiCo and Reckitt before becoming CEO of —

Early life and background
Laxman Narasimhan was born on 15 April 1967 in Pune, Maharashtra, India. He grew up in Pune and attended St. Vincent Junior College and Loyola High School before moving on to the College of Engineering Pune for undergraduate study. He later earned graduate credentials from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, including an MBA in finance, and completed additional studies in German language and international studies.

Career
Narasimhan began his professional career at McKinsey & Company in 1992. Over two decades with the firm he rose to senior leadership and served as a director before leaving in 2012. He then joined PepsiCo, where he served in several senior roles. From 2012 he was a senior vice president and chief financial officer, and later took on regional chief executive responsibilities, first leading PepsiCo’s Latin America business and subsequently its operations across Europe and Sub‑Saharan Africa. In March 2019 he was named PepsiCo’s global chief commercial officer, overseeing sales, marketing and commercial strategy.

In July 2019 Narasimhan left PepsiCo to become chief executive of Reckitt Benckiser Group, the UK‑based maker of consumer health, hygiene and nutrition products. During his time at Reckitt he navigated the business through major strategic initiatives and, by his own account, continued working through personal adversity while presenting to clients and stakeholders.

In 2022 Starbucks announced that Narasimhan would join the company to work alongside then‑CEO Howard Schultz and that he would succeed Schultz as chief executive the following year. Although the announcement set an initial transition to begin in October 2022 with an official succession date of 1 April 2023, Narasimhan assumed the role of Starbucks CEO on 21 March 2023. He served as the company’s chief executive until August 2024, when Brian Niccol succeeded him.

Public service and board roles
Across his career Narasimhan has served on a number of boards and advisory bodies. He joined the Brookings Institution’s board of trustees in 2016 and became a director at Verizon in June 2021. He also served on the Nature Conservancy Latin America Conservation Council and has been involved with councils connected to government and public policy, including relationships with the Council on Foreign Relations and the Prime Minister’s Build Back Better Council.

Public profile
Narasimhan is described as a polyglot who speaks Marathi, Hindi, English, German and Spanish; he has said he learned Spanish while working in Latin America. He is known for leadership roles at major consumer‑facing companies and for experience in strategy, commercial operations and brand building. Personal details publicized in profiles note he is married and is a father of two children. His parents are described by profession with his mother as a teacher and his father as a businessman; accounts note his father died when Narasimhan was very young.

Personal details and interests
Profiles list Narasimhan’s hometown as Pune and his nationality as Indian American. Physical details included in public material describe his height as approximately 175 cm (about 5'9") and note dark brown eyes and salt‑and‑pepper hair. Hobbies and interests attributed to him include reading and writing.

Latest updates
In August 2024 Laxman Narasimhan was replaced as chief executive of Starbucks by Brian Niccol. Earlier notable career milestones include his appointment to PepsiCo leadership roles, his move to Reckitt in 2019, and his board memberships at Brookings and Verizon.
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Recent Work

Chief Executive Officer, Starbucks

Assumed the role of CEO of Starbucks on 21 March 2023 and served until August 2024.

2023-2024
Chief Executive Officer, Reckitt Benckiser Group

Appointed CEO of Reckitt in July 2019, leading the consumer health and hygiene company.

2019-2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined McKinsey & Company in 1992 and became a director by 2012
  2. Served as PepsiCo SVP and CFO, and later regional CEO for Latin America and for Europe & Sub‑Saharan Africa
  3. Named PepsiCo global chief commercial officer in March 2019
  4. Became CEO of Reckitt Benckiser Group in July 2019
  5. Joined Starbucks leadership in late 2022 and became CEO on 21 March 2023
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Laxman Narasimhan born?

15 April 1967

What is Laxman Narasimhan known for?

Business Executive

What is Laxman Narasimhan’s marital status?

Married