Starbucks’ new boss, Brian Niccol, has been criticized after it was revealed he would travel nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) on a business jet from his home in Newport Beach, California, to the company’s headquarters in Seattle.
Critics on social media pointed to what they saw as discrepancies between the company’s public stance on green issues and the lifestyles of its top executives.
Mr. Niccol will take over the helm of the world’s largest coffee chain on September 9.
Starbucks has not yet responded to the BBC’s request for comment.
Mr. Nicol’s job opportunities said he would not be “required to move to company headquarters” but added: “You agree to commute from your residence to company headquarters…as a requirement to perform your duties and responsibilities”.
The document states that he will be eligible to use the company’s aircraft for “business-related travel” and “roundtrip [his] Cities of residence and corporate headquarters”.
Starbucks also said it would set up a small remote office in Newport Beach for Mr. Nicol to use while working in California.
There is a Starbucks hybrid work policy This means employees must be in the office at least three days a week.
The company has not yet confirmed whether the same rules apply to Mr. Nicol or whether he will be able to meet the requirements by working from a new remote office in California.
The terms of his employment sparked a backlash on social media.
“That’s great… great for top talent! But hopefully we won’t see too many new “sustainability” and “environment” related ads from @starbucks? *Wink*,” Said one X user.
“The new Starbucks CEO ‘supercommutes’ 1,000 miles to Seattle for work on a private jet, so don’t be too harsh on the waitress who gives you a plastic straw when you don’t want one.” another said.
Others focused on how much Mr. Nicol would be paid in his new job.
“Why do we never talk about CEO pay when we talk about rising prices?” Posted by Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Under the terms of his offer, Mr Niccol’s annual base salary will be $1.6 million (£1.2 million). In addition, he can also receive performance bonuses of up to $7.2 million and Starbucks stock of up to $230,000 per year.
one Report A report released by the United Nations in 2021 shows that the carbon emissions of the richest 1% of the world’s population are twice that of the poorest 50% of the population combined.
Starbucks announced Mr Nicol will succeed Laxman Narasimhan as chief executive this month.
The news comes as the coffee chain looks to boost flagging sales.
Mr. Niccol has led Mexican fast-food chain Chipotle since 2018, helping the company recover from the crisis following a food poisoning outbreak.
During his tenure, the company’s sales doubled and the stock price soared from less than $7 a share to more than $50.
Chipotle also opened nearly 1,000 new stores and introduced new technology to automate food preparation.
It has been seen as a bright spot for the restaurant industry in recent months, with many establishments reporting customers are cutting back on spending.
