Starbucks' COO Alstead taking 'extended unpaid leave'

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp on Thursday said Chief Operating Officer Troy Alstead, who as finance chief helped lead the coffee chain's extensive restructuring a few years ago, is taking an extended unpaid leave to spend more time with his family. The announcement comes amid concerns on Wall Street that Starbucks later this month could report disappointing results from the holiday quarter, traditionally its biggest for sales. In October, Starbucks said the early re-launch of its p