Arthur Rubinfeld is chief creative officer for Starbucks and president, Global Development and Evolution Fresh Retail. Arthur and his team are focused on the customer journey – from product innovation to store experience.

Arthur and the Global Development team lead Starbucks global store design strategy for the more than 17,000 Starbucks stores around the world, providing the Starbucks Experience by incorporating the personality of the neighborhoods they are in. The group focuses on reducing environmental impacts by green building and energy conservation initiatives into our store designs. Their work has received a number of industry accolades, including the Honor Award for Washington Architecture from the American Institute of Architects, Global Green USA’s Sustainable Design Award and the Architectural Record Good Design is Good Business Award.

In addition to leading strategic store site selection and design, Arthur is responsible for developing and integrating a dynamic brand experience for Starbucks customers around the world. He works to balance global brand growth with local customer relevance as head of the Global Design, Global Creative Studio, Global Development, and Research and Development teams.

Arthur, who was responsible for the design of the company’s first Evolution Fresh juice store in Bellevue, Wash., also leads the Evolution Fresh retail store strategy.

Arthur returned to Starbucks in February 2008 after initially leading store development for ten years through the crucial growth period of the company’s history from 1992-2002. As senior vice president of real estate and store development, he played a major role in creating the customer experience that defines Starbucks as the company grew from just 100 stores to over 4,000 worldwide.
 
In 2002, Arthur founded AIRVISION, an advisory firm that developed brand positioning, growth strategies and operational plans for clients including adidas and Oakley.

Arthur is well-known for his leading-edge, visionary work in the areas of retail design and architecture, and is author of Built for Growth: Expanding Your Business Around the Corner or Across the Globe. He is a registered architect and accredited by the National Council of Architectural Review Boards (NCARB) and holds a master of architecture and bachelor of environmental design degrees from the University of Colorado.