Starbucks EVP Sanjay Shah joins Matternet board

Commercial drone delivery company Matternet has appointed Indian American supply chain executive Sanjay Shah to its Board of Directors as the company expands its autonomous drone delivery business worldwide. Shah currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Starbucks and brings more than three decades of leadership experience across retail, technology, automotive, e-commerce, and manufacturing industries.

Throughout his career, he has held senior executive positions at some of the world's most recognized companies, including Amazon, Tesla, Beyond Meat, Gopuff, and Dell, where he led large-scale supply chain and logistics operations. Originally from India, Shah began his academic journey by studying civil engineering at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda before moving to the United States to earn a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His appointment comes as California-based Matternet accelerates the commercialization of its autonomous drone delivery platform across healthcare, food services, and retail logistics.

The company operates the world's first FAA Type-Certified drone delivery system and has successfully completed more than 60,000 commercial drone flights across urban and suburban locations in the United States and Europe. Matternet has recently expanded its global presence by launching drone delivery operations for the UK National Health Service (NHS) to transport medical supplies between hospital campuses in London while also partnering with SoftBank Robotics America to strengthen enterprise logistics solutions.

CEO Andreas Raptopoulos said Shah's expertise in building complex global supply chains will help transform drone delivery from early commercial adoption into reliable, large-scale infrastructure for businesses. Shah also highlighted the growing need for innovative last-mile delivery solutions, praising Matternet's integrated platform that combines autonomous aircraft, smart ground stations, and advanced software to automate deliveries from start to finish.

His appointment reflects the increasing role of experienced global supply chain leaders in shaping the future of autonomous logistics. As demand for faster, more efficient, and sustainable delivery networks continues to grow, Matternet aims to scale its technology to support large enterprise customers worldwide. Shah's addition to the board is expected to strengthen the company's operational strategy and accelerate the adoption of drone-powered delivery systems across multiple industries.