Starbucks Executive Chairman Howard Schultz to Step Down Schultz is known as the man who turned Starbucks into an internationally known brand, helping expand its stores to more than 28,000 locations across 77 countries. He is set to retire on June 26, per a memo sent to employees on Monday. While he served as the company’s chairman from 2000 to 2008, he helped expand Starbucks from 3,500 to 16,000 stores. Howard Schultz, via CNBC Howard Schultz, via CNBC According to CNBC, Schultz owns 37.8 million shares of Starbucks, which is worth about $2.17 billion.