Since she arrived from Starbucks (SBUX) in 2008, Christine Day has done a remarkable job building Lululemon (LULU). Once just a retailer for yoga enthusiasts, Lululemon is now a fast-growing lifestyle brand. The stock has more than tripled in three years.
Day has never put herself in the spotlight, but Fortune's online readers clearly recognize how effective she is. The results of our just-released Businessperson of the Year poll show that Day trounced Groupon (GRPN) CEO Andrew Mason in the first round of voting. Second round, Day beat Coca-Cola (KO) CEO Muhtar Kent. Third round, Day earned more votes that Google (GOOG) CEO Larry Page.
Even she was surprised. Day wrote this to me in an email today: "We have been so busy with board prep and budget planning that I did not even know I was in the running until the third bracket! The Fortune Women's page is linked to my Facebook page. So when you posted my name, it showed up on my page. My daughter saw it and started a "vote for my Mom" campaign. I got her update in my e-mail...I about fell off my chair when I saw that I was in bracket 3 against Larry Page!"
Day lost to Amazon's (AMZN) Jeff Bezos in the fourth round. And who bested Bezos to be the No. 1 best Businessperson of the Year, according to our readers? Warren Buffett, who continues to expand Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA).
Meanwhile, Fortune's editors chose Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz as the magazine's Businessperson of the Year. Read David Kaplan's terrific cover story here. Christine Day, by the way, started at Starbucks as Schultz's assistant. Over her 20 years there, she rose to head of the Asia-Pacific group. Nothing like learning from the master.
Hey, Starbucks lovers--and critics too! Have you taken the Starbucks Via Taste Challenge? The drip vs. instant coffee faceoff began this morning in Starbucks (SBUX) stores across North America.
If you want to know the science (it involves micro-grinding) behind Starbucks' new instant, check out this story today by my Fortune tech-writer colleague Michael Copeland. He talked with Andrew Linnemann, Starbucks' director of green coffee quality and operations, whose mission MORE
Patricia Sellers - Oct 2, 2009 1:23 PM ET
Addendum: The Starbucks Via Taste Challenge kicks off Friday and runs through Monday in Starbucks stores across the U.S. and Canada. But I got a head start Tuesday morning, as I noted in the post below: I disagree with CEO Howard Schultz's "guarantee" that you won't be able to tell the difference between Starbucks' drip and its new instant (or "ready brew," as he calls it). Starbucks Bold drip handily MORE
Patricia Sellers - Sep 29, 2009 6:34 PM ET
Tuesday's Guest Post by Starbucks barista Sun Min Kimes jolted Postcards readers like a pot of extra bold Joe. We got over 50 comments--the most comments, as well as the most traffic, of any Guest Post we've run except for "The Great Depression, as I remember" by Walt Stoiber.
She struck a chord. As one reader, Oliver in Chicago, said, "Move this person to the Executive suite ASAP!"
Thank you for the MORE
Patricia Sellers - Aug 6, 2009 3:55 PM ET
Starbucks (SBUX) is one of our favorite topics on Postcards. We're in the stores everyday. We vigilantly watch CEO Howard Schultz's efforts to slash costs, revive the brand, treat employees respectfully, satisfy investors, and fight incursions by very aggressive McDonald's (MCD) and Dunkin' Donuts. Today's Wall Street Journal has an interesting story about Starbucks' latest efficiency efforts--which could compromise the brand "romance," which Schultz has long said distinguishes Starbucks, and MORE
Patricia Sellers - Aug 4, 2009 1:11 PM ET
Last week, Rica Rwigamba attended a meeting with Starbucks (SBUX) CEO Howard Schultz at the U.S. embassy in Rwanda. Rica lives in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, where she is co-owner and director of New Dawn Associates, a "responsible tourism" and event management company. Rica is also a participant in the 2009 Fortune-U.S. State Department Global Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership, an extension of the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit. Through this mentoring MORE
Jessica Shambora, Writer-Reporter - Jul 8, 2009 1:57 PM ET
My Fortune colleague Geoff Colvin writes in our March 2 issue that a few companies--DuPont (DD) and Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and McDonald's (MCD), to name three--are working overtime to preserve their brand equity in this downturn. Instead of discounting, they are, in some cases, actually raising prices.
Another company loathe to cut prices: Starbucks (SBUX). As I've noted on Postcards, CEO Howard Schultz told me last year that the smartest decision he MORE
Patricia Sellers - Mar 3, 2009 2:31 PM ET
Reinvent!
Every manager is supposed be doing that these days. You know, there's a lot more risk in reinvention than just the uncertainty of your fancy new business model. In your rush to reinvent, you could well leave your core values behind.
I've been contemplating this lately for several reasons. For one, I'm sold on the wisdom of Jim Collins, the management guru who was part of a recent Fortune cover package MORE
Patricia Sellers - Feb 23, 2009 2:38 PM ET
By Beth Kowitt
The company that brought premium java into the mainstream is now selling instant coffee. Is this the latest sign of the apocalypse?
At an event in New York today, Starbucks (SBUX) introduced the result of its biggest research investment to date: Starbucks Via Ready Brew, available in individual servings (a three-pack sells for $2.95; a 12-pack for $9.95).
Before you start accusing the iconic retailer of desperate measures, give Via MORE
Jessica Shambora, Writer-Reporter - Feb 17, 2009 6:09 PM ET
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz needs less optimism and a stronger dose of reality in his brew.
Monday's fourth-quarter earnings report -- net income down 97% to $5.4 million on revenues of $2.5 billion, which were up 3% -- missed expectations. Same-store sales, down 8% in the United States and 7% globally, were worse than Wall Street predicted. Moreover, $170 million in restructuring costs to close 600 U.S. stores, as detailed by management MORE
Patricia Sellers - Nov 11, 2008 12:12 PM ET
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Pattie Sellers has written some of Fortune's most talked-about cover stories, including "Oprah's Next Act," "Can Meg Whitman Save California?" "The $100 Billion Woman" (Melinda Gates), "MySpace Cowboys," Martha Stewart ("I cannot be destroyed"), Ted Turner ("Gone with the Wind") and Oprah Winfrey ("Oprah Inc."). Since its launch in 1998, Pattie has helped oversee Fortune's "Most Powerful Women" cover package.
A specialist at dissecting larger-than-life personalities, she has also profiled former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, Morgan Stanley chairman John Mack, and countless CEOs.
Pattie co-chairs the annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, the preeminent gathering of women leaders in business, philanthropy, government, academia, and the arts. She started at Fortune in 1984, covering the big brand companies.
In Pattie's blog, Postcards, she provides insight into the lives of super-achievers through commentary, career advice, and Guest Posts by CEOs and other leaders.
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Fortune Most Powerful Women
Sheryl Sandberg:
Gina Bianchini
