Sweetgreen has hired Lauren Crowley as its new chief people officer. Crowley has over 20 years of experience in human resources, having worked at companies such as Expedia Group, Starbucks, Whole Foods Market, and Dell.
She will begin her new role on October 26 and report to Jonathan Neman, co-founder and CEO of Sweetgreen. Crowley most recently worked at OC Sports & Entertainment for over a year, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Crowley spent more than six years at Expedia Group, where she oversaw enterprise talent programs that supported 16,500 employees across 56 countries. She also spent over six years at Starbucks, rising to the post of director, partner resources.
In that role, she was responsible for U.S. retail HR operations supporting more than 200,000 partners across more than 15,000 stores, according to the press release. Neman said Crowley brings the exact blend of strategic vision, operational rigor, and people-first leadership that Sweetgreen needs at this stage of their journey.
Crowley succeeds Adrienne Gemperle, who served as chief people officer for over six years. Gemperle will transition out of her role but work alongside Crowley through the end of the year, according to the press release.
Neman praised Gemperle’s impact on the company, saying she helped build and scale their people organization, and her impact can be seen across their culture, their leadership team, and their restaurants. Crowley will join Sweetgreen amid an ongoing turnaround effort launched last year.
The company’s Sweet Growth plan focuses on operational excellence, brand relevance, food quality, and personalized digital experiences. The plan also includes investing in regional and restaurant-level management and training, such as redesigned training programs for head coaches, kitchen leads, and core team members.
These changes are expected to strengthen Sweetgreen’s teams, reduce turnover, and deepen its bench of leaders. With these efforts, the company aims to return to sustainable transaction growth and become a stronger, more profitable business.
