Lauren Crowley will take over the leadership role of Chief People Officer of Sweetgreen starting on October 26, 2026. The mission-driven restaurant brand, providing healthful foods in bulk, announced the move to hire her as Chief People Officer. She will be working under the supervision of co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman.
Crowley has gained over 20 years of experience managing people organizations during growth and change. Some examples of consumer brands and technology organizations include Expedia Group, Starbucks, Whole Foods Market, and Dell. She worked as Senior Vice President of Human Resources at OC Sports & Entertainment prior to joining Sweetgreen. At Expedia Group, Lauren Crowley managed the company-wide talent programs for the workforce of 16,500 employees in 56 countries for seven years. At Starbucks, she managed the U.S. retail HR operations with the workforce of 200,000 partners working in more than 15,000 stores.
“What drew me to sweetgreen is its unique combination of purpose, ambition, and a genuine commitment to its people,” said Lauren Crowley, Chief People Officer of sweetgreen. “I look forward to partnering with the leadership team and our restaurant teams to build on the strong foundation already in place and create an environment where our people can grow their careers and help shape what’s next for the company.”
Leadership Focuses on People and Growth
Jonathan Neman introduced Crowley and stressed her leadership credentials. He stressed the importance of strategic thinking, execution, and people-oriented leadership.
“Lauren brings the exact blend of strategic vision, operational rigor, and people-first leadership that sweetgreen needs at this stage of our journey,” said Jonathan Neman, Co-Founder and CEO of sweetgreen. “She has a deep understanding of how to build strong cultures and people organizations at scale, and I’m thrilled to welcome her to the team. I know she will be an incredible partner to our leaders and our restaurant teams as we continue to evolve and grow.”
Sweetgreen’s Chief People Officer position has also come with plans for a leadership transition. Adrienne Gemperle, the Chief People Officer, who has been in her role during an important period in the history of the company, will leave her position. She will be working with Crowley until the end of 2026. Neman also acknowledged the contribution of Gemperle to the company and its people.
“Adrienne has been an extraordinary leader, partner and champion for our people, and I’m deeply grateful for everything she has given to sweetgreen,” said Jonathan Neman. “She helped build and scale our people organization, and her impact can be seen across our culture, our leadership team and our restaurants.”
Overall, the Sweetgreen Chief People Officer change reflects the company’s continued investment in its team members. The Sweetgreen Chief People Officer transition aims to facilitate its next phase of growth. With this experience, the Sweetgreen Chief People Officer position is likely to be instrumental in guiding people strategy as the firm grows. The appointment of the Sweetgreen Chief People Officer is a demonstration of its dedication to developing its people and its organization. The leadership transition at Sweetgreen’s Chief People Officer role is planned.
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News Source: Businesswire.com
