When Howard Schultz stepped down as chief executive officer in 2000, Starbucks' revenue and income were soaring. During his decade and a half in the role he had transformed the business, changing it from an enterprise based on the local Seattle market to a multi-million dollar organization with more than 17,000 stores in 150 countries. Unfortunately his successor, Jim Donald, did not meet with such success. By the time Donald left the company in 2008 and Schultz returned to his former position, Starbucks' share price had dropped by almost 50% and there was a comparable decline in its operating income.