SEATTLE - Starbucks Corp named Michelle Gass on Thursday to the new role of president of its Seattle's Best Coffee chain, responsible for building out the brand and managing 550 U.S. Seattle's Best cafes.

Gass most recently served as Starbucks' executive vice president of marketing and category. Starbucks in February announced plans to recruit Seattle's Best franchisees in the United States.

Starbucks tapped Annie Young-Scrivner to be its global chief marketing officer, a role previously held by Gass. Young-Scrivner most recently served as chief marketing officer and vice president of sales for Quaker Foods and Snacks, a division of PepsiCo Inc.

Both executives will report to Starbucks Chairman and Chief Executive Howard Schultz. (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Tim Dobbyn, Bernard Orr)

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