Her Story
About Jessica
Jessica Lynch serves as Division Manager of Retail Food Safety and Quality at Starbucks Coffee Company. With over 20 years at the company and more than 15 years in regulatory compliance, she focuses on translating food code and FDA standards into consistent execution across almost 40,000 locations while building capability through people development. Her educational background includes a BS in Biochemistry and an MBA in Business Systems focused on supply chain, both from the University of Texas at Dallas, complemented by her certification as a Certified Professional of Food Safety through NEHA. She is actively involved in professional organizations, including NEHA and the Texas Food Protection Task Force, where she co-chairs the steering committee. Lynch began her career in operations as a single mom and credits a mentor with opening pathways to regulatory work that now allows her to support teams across more than 20 states and nearly 100,000 employees. She attributes her success to a competitive drive to be better tomorrow than today, a supportive community, and a passion for people, while filtering her work and legacy through the lens of her two daughters.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jessica
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'm competitive and try to live by the mantra of being better tomorrow than I am today. I have a wonderful community around me, both family and intentional individuals who encourage and nurture me. When I first joined Starbucks as a single mom, I met a mentor who created opportunities, encouraged my education and professional growth. I started in operations and expanded into regulatory work, translating teaching and development on a larger scale supporting over 20 states and nearly 100,000 employees. My personal drive and passion for people have been key.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Think about your career as a road trip with a destination in mind rather than a treadmill of next steps. Ask yourself what you want to retire at, then create opportunities to reach that destination. Trust your experience and future capability, and have the confidence to ask why not be the best candidate.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Trust that you've earned the seat you're in and never doubt that your perspective and contributions are valuable, whether you've been at the table for 15 minutes or 20 years. Lean into your competence. Think of your career as a road trip with a destination rather than just the next step on a treadmill.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is balancing science and art between operations focused on sales and regulatory perspectives to build trust in communities. Industry and regulators are often seen as opposing, but framing success as 'yes you can, but this is how' helps. Incident-based issues like cyclospora outbreaks highlight the need for systems that prevent problems without public acclaim, requiring passion for the unseen work of keeping communities safe.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I filter everything through the lens of my two daughters, hoping they view my work and legacy with pride. I want to demonstrate resilience through successful and challenging days. Belonging and achieving results matter, but family and contributing to a legacy for them are central.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.