Starbucks announced Tuesday it's replacing CEO Laxman Narasimhan with Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol as the coffee chain tries to reverse a sales slump. Before joining Starbucks, Narasimhan was chief executive of Reckitt, which owns brands like Lysol and Mucinex. Narasimhan's surprise ouster also suggests that Starbucks' board isn't interested in a deal with activist investors. When news of Elliott's stake in Starbucks first broke in July, the hedge fund offered Starbucks' board a settlement that would protect Narasimhan's job, CNBC previously reported. Starbucks' board did not initially respond or engage with Elliott for some time, driven in part by the lingering influence of Schultz.

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Persons: Laxman Narasimhan, Brian Niccol, Rachel Ruggeri, Niccol, Narasimhan, Howard Schultz, Elliott, Chipotle, Mellody Hobson, shakeup, Brian, Hobson, he's, Bell, Narasimhan's, Schultz, Scott Boatwright, Jack Hartung Organizations: Starbucks, Elliott Management, Yum Brands, Bell, CNBC Locations: U.S, China, Chipotle, Pizza