Chipotle Announces CEO Departure

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. announced that Brian Niccol, chairman and chief executive officer, has accepted the role as chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks and will be leaving the company effective Aug. 31. Niccol has served as Chipotle's CEO since 2018 and as chairman of the board since 2020.

Chipotle's board of directors has appointed Scott Boatwright, chief operating officer, as interim CEO. Boatwright joined Chipotle in 2017 and has been instrumental in driving restaurant operations for the company's more than 120,000 employees and over 3,500 restaurants. He also led the integration of new technology into restaurants, built a strong culture aligned to the organization's values and achieved industry-leading retention rates yielding impressive results and improvements in throughput and the overall guest experience, said the company. Boatwright played a critical role as part of the leadership team that created and executed the turnaround strategy that has delivered incredible results since it began in 2018, Chipotle added. Boatwright and the esteemed leadership team will continue to execute the company's strategic plan without interruption.

In addition, Jack Hartung, who recently announced his retirement from Chipotle in 2025, has agreed to remain with the organization indefinitely as president of strategy, finance and supply chain to ensure a smooth transition. In this new role, Hartung will support Boatwright as interim CEO and continue his current oversight of Adam Rymer, vice president of finance and incoming CFO, as well as Carlos Londono, global head of supply chain.  

With this leadership change, Scott Maw, Chipotle's lead independent director, has been named chairman of the board, effective immediately.

"Thanks to our robust talent planning process, we are well-prepared for events like this due to the deep bench within the organization," said Maw. "The board is excited to see other strong leaders expand their roles and provide growth and development for more people in the organization.”    

"I'm incredibly proud of the work that has been accomplished since I joined Chipotle in 2018," said Niccol. "The strategic priorities this team has put in place have positioned Chipotle to win today and enable future growth. It's hard to leave such a great company and all of the talented people I've had the pleasure to work with, but I depart knowing the business is in great shape and poised for growth with a strong, experienced leadership team."  

Boatwright added, "I have the utmost confidence in our five key strategies, and I'm excited for the new opportunity to lead the business moving forward. We have a world-class organization full of talented leaders who are passionate about our brand and purpose and excited for the long-term opportunity to grow to 7,000 restaurants in North America and expand internationally."