Niccol's offer letter, made public in an SEC filing, reveals that he will receive a 1.6-million-dollar annual salary and will not be required to relocate. New Delhi: Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol’s luxurious commute plan has ignited a firestorm of criticism contrasting the company’s environmental pronouncements.
While the coffee giant pushes for paper straws to reduce plastic waste, its newly appointed CEO will be shuttling between his California home and Seattle headquarters three times a week via private jet. Niccol’s offer letter, made public in an SEC filing, reveals that he will receive a 1.6 million dollar annual salary and will not be required to relocate.
Instead, CNBC reported that he would commute the 1,000-mile or almost 1,600 km between his residence and Starbucks’ headquarters using the company’s aircraft. The revelation has sparked outrage on social media, with users criticising the company for promoting environmental consciousness while allowing its CEO to indulge in such a carbon-intensive travel arrangement. “Make sure you get one of those reusable Starbucks cups yeah,” one user wrote on Threads.
“We have to drink from paper straws, while their CEO commutes via private jets,” echoed another. The stark contrast between Starbucks’ environmental initiatives and Niccol’s commute has been labelled a PR disaster in the making, prompting calls for the company to revise the offer letter and reconsider its stance on executive travel. According to the CNBC report, a spokesperson of the company said that Niccol will work from the Seattle office at least three times a week according to Starbucks’ hybrid work policy mode.
“Brian’s primary office and a majority of his time will be spent in our Seattle Support Center or out visiting partners and customers in our stores, roasteries, roasting facilities and offices around the world,” the spokesperson added. “His schedule will exceed the hybrid work guidelines and workplace expectations we have for all partners.”.
