The new Starbucks CEO, Brian Niccol, is facing criticism before even officially starting the job after details of his offer letter became public in an Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing. One of the perks listed is the ability to fly by private jet to the Seattle corporate office three times a week.
Niccol, who currently resides in Newport Beach, California — nearly 1,000 miles from Starbucks headquarters in Seattle — will be required to adhere to the company’s hybrid schedule, which includes three days in the office. While most employees will commute by car or public transportation, Niccol will be able to use a corporate jet for his trips.
Although Niccol will also have a residence in Seattle, it is unclear how often he will actually fly from Newport Beach to Seattle. Critics are raising concerns about the environmental impact of this arrangement, as private jet travel is significantly more polluting than even commercial flights.
Niccol’s commute plans are drawing scrutiny before his official start date of Sept. 9. This criticism comes as Starbucks has previously made several commitments to becoming more environmentally friendly, including its paper over plastic straw policy and a pledge in 2020 to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2030.
