Starbucks executive John Culver honored by Dedman School, Florida Society of Hosts as alumnus of the year

John Culver, president of Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific, was honored Nov. 18 by Florida State University’s Dedman School of Hospitality and the Florida Society of Hosts as the school’s 2011 Alumnus of the Year.

Culver majored in hotel and restaurant administration and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the FSU College of Business in 1982. He joined Starbucks in 2002 as vice president and general manager for Foodservice, responsible for leading sales, marketing and operations. As president of Starbucks Coffee Asia
Pacific from 2007 to 2009, he headed efforts to cultivate the “Starbucks Experience” for company-operated, joint-venture and licensed markets within the Asian Pacific region. Under his leadership, the Starbucks brand expanded rapidly throughout the 10-market region. 

Most recently, Culver served as president of Starbucks Coffee International, responsible for leading the continued growth of Starbucks in more than 50 international markets around the globe. Known for his strong business acumen, leadership and dedication to developing Starbucks “partners” (employees), Culver played an instrumental role in building the foundation for accelerated international growth. In October 2011, he was appointed to his current role as president of Starbucks China and Asia Pacific.

Before joining Starbucks, Culver was vice president of sales for Nestlé USA, where he was responsible for foodservice sales and development of more than 30 brands. He also held various management positions at Houlihan’s restaurants. 

The Society of Hosts is the alumni association of the Dedman School. Each year the Dedman School of Hospitality, through the Society of Hosts Alumni Association, honors a
distinguished alumnus with the Alumnus of the Year Award. 

Previous recipients of the alumni award include 1981 graduate Chuck Floyd, chief operating officer and executive president of Hyatt Hotels; 1979 graduate Anne Hamilton vice
president of resort sales and services for Walt Disney World Resort; 1978 graduate David Gilbert chief operating officer of the National Restaurant Association and executive director of the National Restaurant Association Solutions; 1972 graduate Ed Staros, vice president of operations for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company; and 1984 graduate James Riscigno vice president of the Eastern Region for Club Corporation of America. 

For additional information, contact Jane Boyd Ohlin, director of the Dedman School of Hospitality, at (850) 644-4891, (850) 559-8474 or johlin@cob.fsu.edu.

About the Dedman School of Hospitality
The Dedman School of Hospitality was founded in 1947and has a long tradition of excellence in the hospitality industry. With a early 100 percent placement rate for its graduates, the Dedman School’s world-renowned faculty have received numerous awards and recognitions, as well as regularly being published in top industry journals. The Dedman School of Hospitality is an independent, industry-specific school with its own admission and degree requirements, and is administered through the FSU College of Business.