Michael Conway, Starbucks' North America CEO, will retire on November 30 after only eight months in the role, marking the end of his 11-year tenure with the company. Rather than replacing Conway, Starbucks is eliminating the North America CEO position and creating a new global chief brand officer role to streamline leadership and boost efficiency. Sara Trilling, North American president, will oversee retail operations and report directly to new CEO Brian Niccol, who recently took over from Laxman Narasimhan. Niccol aims to revitalize the brand by addressing operational issues such as inconsistent service and long wait times. Starbucks has faced declining sales and operational challenges in North America, prompting this leadership restructuring.