Dive Brief:

• Dutch Bros hired Joshua Guenser as CFO, Sumitro Ghosh as incoming president of operations and Jess Elmquist and chief people officer, the company said Monday in a press release. Elmquist begins Monday, Ghosh starts Jan. 15 and Guenser will start Feb. 19.
• Following these appointments, current COO Brian Maxwell will transition to vice chairman and report to co-founder and Executive Chairman Travis Boersma. 
• The new leadership team will support the company’s goal of reaching 4,000 units, CEO Christine Barone said.

Dive Insight:

Dutch Bros has brought on a string of new leaders as it plots aggressive growth. Barone became CEO effective Jan. 1, succeeding Joth Ricci. In June 2022, the company hired Tana Davila as its CMO. 

Now, Guenser, Ghosh and Elmquist join the coffee chain as it prepares to open 150 to 165 shops this year, which would bring its total footprint to nearly 1,000 units. The coffee chain currently has 831 shops, which is almost double its store count when it went public in 2021. During the fourth quarter, the drive-thru coffee chain opened 37 units, of which 32 were company-owned. For the year, it added 159 units to its store count, 146 of which were company-owned.

Guenser will succeed Charley Jemley, who will assume the role of advisor within the company to allow for a smooth transition. Guenser comes from Mod Pizza, where he was CFO for almost four years and oversaw financial operations for the fast casual’s North American locations. Prior to that role, he was at Starbucks for over 10 years in various financial roles, most recently serving as SVP, finance, Americas. 

Ghosh, who joins the company after a two-year stint as Global VP of Nike Stores, will initially spend his time at Dutch Bros engaging with shop and field leaders across Dutch Bros’ markets. After this experience, he will fulfill the new role of president of operations, subject to board appointment, and oversee shop operations, real estate strategy and supply chain management. Ghosh has served as COO at Foxtrot Ventures, in various positions at Starbucks and at Yum Brands. 

“In each of his roles, Ghosh was responsible for developing and operationalizing the growth of a complex and unique global store portfolio with incredible success, driving a consistent legacy of results while developing future leaders through a culture of engaged, inspired and committed teams,” Dutch Bros said in the press release. 

As chief people officer, Elmquist will oversee human resources functions across the company. Elmquist previously worked at Phenom People, where he was chief human resources office and chief evangelist for two years, per his LinkedIn profile. Prior to that role, he worked at Life Time Inc. for over 20 years in various positions, most recently as chief learning officer and EVP of human capital.