"The height of hypocrisy" Starbucks boss commutes 1600 kilometers - by jet
The new CEO of Starbucks does not want to move away from California. That's why Brian Niccol commutes to Seattle three times a week on the company jet.
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- On September 9, Brian Niccol starts as CEO of Starbucks.
- To do so, he will travel the 1600 kilometers from his home in California to the company headquarters in Seattle three times a week by corporate jet.
- The discrepancy between Starbucks' public stance on environmental issues and the lifestyle of the top manager has triggered critical reactions.
Brian Niccol will start his job as CEO of Starbucks on September 9. He will continue in his current role as chairman of the fast food chain Chipotle until the end of August before moving to the top of the world's largest coffee shop provider.
However, Niccol is already being criticized after details of his terms of employment became public, as reported by the BBC. He is expected to commute the almost 1600 kilometers from his home in Newport Beach, California, to Starbucks' headquarters in Seattle, Washington, by company jet.
Niccol has to be in Seattle at least three times a week, according to the company's hybrid work policy. For the remaining days, Starbucks will set up an office in Newport Beach for the new boss.
Niccol's annual salary is said to be 1.6 million dollars (around 1.36 million Swiss francs). In addition, he could receive a performance-related bonus of up to 7.2 million dollars and Starbucks shares worth up to 23 million dollars per year.
Starbucks, the green company?
Starbucks is committed to reducingCO2. The website states: "We are committed to acting in a resource-conserving way - giving more to the planet than we take. We will store more carbon than we emit, avoid waste and conserve and replenish more fresh water than we use."
Nevertheless, the company allows commuting by plane. This has sparked fierce criticism on social media. "This is the height of corporate hypocrisy - and at the same time Starbucks is introducing paper straws and cups and pushing for sustainability," writes one user on the X platform. There are plenty of opinions like this.
The company has not yet responded to media inquiries on this topic. In just under three weeks' time at the latest, when Brian Niccol is officially in office, he will probably have to comment in a timely manner.