Sweetgreen Names Rossann Williams as Chief Operating Officer
Sweetgreen has officially appointed Rossann Williams as the Chief Operating Officer, a position set to take effect on February 5th. Joining the esteemed executive leadership team, Williams will be responsible for overseeing Operations, Real Estate + Development, and Supply Chain for the company. With over 30 years of experience in leading retail businesses globally, Williams is recognized for her expertise in fostering high-performance teams throughout all levels of an organization.
Jonathan Neman, CEO and Co-Founder of Sweetgreen, expressed confidence in the appointment, stating, “Rossann is an industry veteran with a proven track record in driving sustainable growth of global, iconic brands and leading teams to generate profitability. Rossann complements the existing skills and experience of our leadership team as we pursue our next chapter of growth. It’s clear that she shares our values, and I look forward to partnering with Rossann to further our mission of connecting more communities to real food.”
Before joining Sweetgreen, Williams spent over 18 years at Starbucks, where she ascended to the position of EVP and President of North America Retail. During her tenure, she oversaw a market of approximately 16,000 stores, achieving significant improvements in same-store sales, successfully opening numerous new stores, and navigating the company through the challenges of the pandemic. Williams also held various senior operations roles across North America at Starbucks, ultimately reaching the position of SVP, Global and Americas Operations Services. Her extensive leadership experience extends to well-known Fortune 500 brands such as Blockbuster and Toys “R” Us.
Expressing her enthusiasm for the new role, Rossann Williams stated, “I’ve long admired Sweetgreen’s leadership as a founder-led, mission-driven company driving the industry forward. I am deeply aligned with Sweetgreen’s values, people-centric approach, and commitment to connect more people to delicious, real food. I’m thrilled to be joining the Sweetgreen team at a moment of significant growth and an incredible opportunity ahead.
