Deborah Neff (she/her) joined Starbucks in February 2023 as vice president, Product and Marketing for Starbucks Canada. She is responsible for elevating the customer and partner (employee) experience through beverage and food innovation, brand stewardship, loyalty, strategic partnerships and digital customer experiences in Canada, all in service of Starbucks Customer Promise to uplift the everyday.
Deborah brings over 20 years of broad marketing and leadership experience, spanning a multitude of global brands and business models, where she helped drive unprecedented sales, customer growth and brand affinity through digital performance, insights, analytics and strong loyalty programs.
Most recently, Deborah was senior vice president of Marketing at Sephora Canada where she built a world-class marketing department that successfully captured 2 million new customers and fueled a $1 billion+ business in only three years, making Sephora Canada the #1 retailer in the prestige beauty space. One of Deborah’s proudest achievements was launching Sephora’s brand campaign focused on increasing inclusivity, reducing intimidation and driving overall brand love. She also championed Sephora’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts through a first-of-its-kind National Indigenous History month campaign, contributing to Sephora’s recognition as Strategy Magazine’s 2021 Brand of the Year.
Deborah’s extensive background in diversity, equity and inclusion, alongside her passion, care and commitment to those around her, makes her the proud executive sponsor of the Starbucks Canada Indigenous Partner Network.
In her spare time, she manages a busy household in Etobicoke with her husband Reza, their three daughters, and family dogs, Wookiee and Jabba. Deborah always starts her day with a tall, double shot, extra-hot, Caffe Latte with almond beverage. In the evening, she can be found on the couch with a glass of wine, catching up on the latest streaming shows.