Seattle, 22 August 2024 (TDI): After the disclosure that he would take a corporate aircraft to travel the over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from his family home in Newport Beach, California to the company’s headquarters in Seattle, the recently appointed CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol, has drawn criticism.
Social media critics have pointed out what they consider to be a gap between the company’s public position on environmental issues and the executive lifestyles of its senior executives.
On September 9th, Mr. Niccol will officially assume the position of CEO of the largest coffee shop chain globally.
According to Mr. Niccol’s employment offer, “Relocating to the company’s headquarters won’t be necessary for you… In order to carry out your tasks and obligations, you agree to travel from your home to the company’s headquarters.”
The agreement specifies that he may utilize the company’s planes for “business-related travel” and “travel between [his] city of residence and the Company’s headquarters.”
Additionally, Starbucks announced that it would provide Mr. Niccol with a tiny remote workspace in Newport Beach to use while working from California.
Social media users reacted negatively to these job prerequisites.
Employees at Starbucks are required to work three days a week under the company’s hybrid work policy.
One user posted on X to criticize him.
Another user calls it a hypocrisy of Starbucks.
Others concentrated on the salary that Mr. Niccol would receive in his new position.
Former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich also posted on X.
As per the conditions of his offer, Mr. Niccol will receive $1.6 million (£1.2 million) in base compensation annually. In addition, he may get up to $23 million in Starbucks shares annually in addition to a performance-related bonus of up to $7.2 million.
The world’s richest 1% of people generated twice as much carbon emissions as the lowest 50% combined, according to a 2021 UN assessment.
Also read: Starbucks Filed Third Lawsuit For Allegedly Copying Idea Of Coffee-Flavored Lip Balm
This month, Starbucks declared that Mr. Niccol would take over as the company’s CEO in place of Laxman Narasimhan.
The coffee chain announced in an attempt to increase declining sales.
Since 2018, Mr. Niccol has been the leader of the Mexican fast food business Chipotle, assisting it in overcoming a crisis after food illness outbreaks.
The company’s sales doubled during his tenure, and its shares increased from less than $7 to more than $50 per share.
Along with opening nearly 1,000 new locations, Chipotle also implemented new technology to automate the preparation of food.
As many restaurant operators have claimed that customers are cutting back on their spending, it has been viewed as a bright spot in the industry in recent months.
