Retail Veteran Venki Krishnababu Joins Dutch Bros Coffee as Chief Technology and Information Officer

GRANTS PASS, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dutch Bros Inc. (“Dutch Bros”) (NYSE: BROS), one of the fastest-growing brands in the quick service beverage industry in the United States by location count, today announced that lauded retail veteran Venki Krishnababu has joined Dutch Bros Coffee as the drive-thru beverage company’s new Chief Technology and Information Officer. Krishnababu brings nearly 30 years of experience leading transformational, enterprise-shaping strategies and a proven track record of creating business value through technology, innovation, and partnerships.

“Venki has deep experience leading technology strategies across multiple functions, including data and analytics, cybersecurity, and digital transformations,” said Christine Barone, CEO and president of Dutch Bros. “Above all, though, Venki is known for his people-centric leadership, which aligns perfectly with Dutch Bros culture. His leadership will be key as we continue to invest in technology to enhance our customer experience.”

Krishnababu assumed the role of Chief Technology and Information Officer on Dec. 16, 2024. Prior to joining Dutch Bros, he capped a seven year career with lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) as Chief Technology Officer. Prior to lululemon, Krishnababu was Chief Technology Officer at Premera Blue Cross and in various leadership roles over 16 years at Nordstrom.

“Dutch Bros is one of the most innovative rapidly growing coffee chains, known for its friendly service, delicious drinks, and vibrant atmosphere. What truly sets Dutch Bros apart from other coffee chains is its people-centric culture,” said Krishnababu. “Technology is such a critical component in delivering great customer experiences, building community, helping our Broistas and scale the enterprise to the future. My perennial focus will be to position technology as a strategic enabler of the company while embodying Dutch Bros' people-first culture. I am excited and look forward to working with Dutch Bros, to serve our customers, teams, and business.”

About Dutch Bros

Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE: BROS) is a high growth operator and franchisor of drive-thru shops that focus on serving high QUALITY, hand-crafted beverages with unparalleled SPEED and superior SERVICE. Founded in 1992 by brothers Dane and Travis Boersma, Dutch Bros began with a double-head espresso machine and a pushcart in Grants Pass, Oregon. While espresso-based beverages are still at the core of what we do, Dutch Bros now offers a wide variety of unique, customizable cold and hot beverages that delight a broad array of customers. We believe Dutch Bros is more than just the products we serve—we are dedicated to making a massive difference in the lives of our employees, customers and communities. This combination of hand-crafted and high-quality beverages, our unique drive-thru experience and our community-driven, people-first culture has allowed us to successfully open new shops and continue to share the “Dutch Luv” at more than 950 locations across 18 states as of September 30, 2024.

To learn more about Dutch Bros, visit https://www.dutchbros.com, follow Dutch Bros on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok, and download the Dutch Bros app to earn points and score rewards!