Howard Schultz

Yeah, the NASCAR story is a classic one for ServiceNow. They first became a customer for the IT operations, but as they saw the power of the ServiceNow platform, they extended it into every corner of their business, from employee experience to app engine.

Yeah, the NASCAR story is a classic one for ServiceNow. They first became a customer for the IT operations, but as they saw the power of the ServiceNow platform, they extended it into every corner of their business, from employee experience to app engine.

So Japan's 96. In 97, you cross 1,000 stores globally. You're getting your feet under you. You're saying, OK, international is going to be a thing. In 1999, you- 2,000 stores. 2,000 stores. Because we had a goal of 2,000 by 2,000. We beat it by a year. Ah. 99, you also opened in Beijing. What's the calculus on entering China?

So Japan's 96. In 97, you cross 1,000 stores globally. You're getting your feet under you. You're saying, OK, international is going to be a thing. In 1999, you- 2,000 stores. 2,000 stores. Because we had a goal of 2,000 by 2,000. We beat it by a year. Ah. 99, you also opened in Beijing. What's the calculus on entering China?

And did you realize it could become such a pillar of the company like it is today?

And did you realize it could become such a pillar of the company like it is today?

I honestly don't think we had any real understanding of what we were getting into. And we went there with a partner that didn't work out. I should tell you that we had a theory of the case that any international market that we opened that didn't speak English, we needed a partner. And so Japan was a partner, successful.

I honestly don't think we had any real understanding of what we were getting into. And we went there with a partner that didn't work out. I should tell you that we had a theory of the case that any international market that we opened that didn't speak English, we needed a partner. And so Japan was a partner, successful.

We entered in a partnership in China early on that was not successful, did not share our values, and we got out and ended up going.

We entered in a partnership in China early on that was not successful, did not share our values, and we got out and ended up going.

So you closed all the stores?

So you closed all the stores?

No, no, we got out of the partnership, bought them out, and became company-owned. And so that was legal to do that, to be an American-owned company operating in China. Yeah, but we struggled in China for almost a decade. Lost money. There was tremendous pressure inside the company to close China. Until Belinda Wong, maybe the most valuable person in the company, from my view.

No, no, we got out of the partnership, bought them out, and became company-owned. And so that was legal to do that, to be an American-owned company operating in China. Yeah, but we struggled in China for almost a decade. Lost money. There was tremendous pressure inside the company to close China. Until Belinda Wong, maybe the most valuable person in the company, from my view.

Really? Yeah. When did Belinda get involved with Starbucks?

Really? Yeah. When did Belinda get involved with Starbucks?

Belinda was working. She started with Starbucks in Singapore. But she was working in Hong Kong. We were open in Hong Kong. And I saw something in her who was just an extraordinary operator and had a touch with people. And I said, and we were dying in China. We were really in trouble. Would you come to China and run it? And she said, I would consider doing that, but you've got to decentralize it.

Belinda was working. She started with Starbucks in Singapore. But she was working in Hong Kong. We were open in Hong Kong. And I saw something in her who was just an extraordinary operator and had a touch with people. And I said, and we were dying in China. We were really in trouble. Would you come to China and run it? And she said, I would consider doing that, but you've got to decentralize it.

And we couldn't do that right away. It was just too much. But she changed the course of history for Starbucks in China.

And we couldn't do that right away. It was just too much. But she changed the course of history for Starbucks in China.