Fast-casual health food sensation sweetgreen has hired a Black woman to take helm on the brand’s technology front. Wouleta Ayele will now make her mark as Chief Technology Officer after formerly serving as a 16-year veteran of Starbucks, where she most recently held the position of senior vice president of technology services.
In her new role, Wouleta will be responsible for leading sweetgreen’s technology teams, allowing them to scale their supply chain model, advance restaurant operations, acquire new talent, and develop their digital platforms.
“sweetgreen is a truly innovative company that is paving the way for a healthier future. The way that they approach the intersection of food and tech is unlike any other restaurant brand out there,” said Wouleta. “I’m excited and grateful to be joining the sweetgreen team as they lead the charge of changing the fast food industry for years to come.”
Prior to working at Starbucks, she held leadership positions at Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Attachmate Corporation, and Ciba-Geigy pharmaceutical.
“As we continue to scale and think about what the future of fast food will look like, the technology powering sweetgreen plays an integral part in creating efficiencies and providing our guests with the best experience possible,” said sweetgreen co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman. “Wouleta has the experience, savviness, and leadership to help us make that vision a reality. We look forward to welcoming her to the team.”
Sweetgreen currently has 130+ restaurants across the United States.
