Bandung, IndonesiaSentinel.com — Newly appointed Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is facing criticism after it was revealed that he plans to commute to work using the company’s private jet. Niccol, who resides with his family in Newport Beach, California, will be traveling nearly 1,000 miles to Starbucks’ headquarters in Seattle, where he is expected to work.
Niccol is set to replace former CEO Laxman Narasimhan as the company strives to boost sales and regain consumer interest. The new CEO will be required to work at the Seattle headquarters three times a week, aligning with the company’s hybrid work policy for employees.
“Although Brian will be based in Southern California, his primary office and most of his time will be spent at our headquarters in Seattle,” a Starbucks spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch. “When not traveling for work, he will be in our Seattle office at least three days a week, consistent with our hybrid work policy. He will also reside in Seattle.”
The revelation that Niccol will be using the company jet for his commute, as stipulated in his offer letter, has sparked public concern. While other employees commute by car or public transportation, the CEO’s use of a private jet appears at odds with Starbucks’ public stance on environmental issues.
The job offer stated that the CEO is “not required to relocate to the company’s headquarters,” but also mentioned that he would “agree to travel from his residence to the company’s headquarters as needed to fulfill his duties and responsibilities.”
The document also allows the new CEO to use the company’s private jet for “travel between his home city and the company’s headquarters” and for “business-related travel.”
Critics have pointed out the contradiction between Starbucks’ public commitment to environmental sustainability and the lifestyle of its top executives. The decision to use a private jet contrasts sharply with the company’s 2020 pledge to reduce its carbon footprint across its operations and supply chain.
According to a 2021 report by the European Federation for Transport and Environment, private jet travel is among the most polluting modes of transportation, generating 5 to 14 times more pollution per passenger than commercial flights and 50 times more than rail travel.
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Public backlash has been evident on social media platforms like X, with users highlighting the inconsistency between the company’s environmental policies and its executives’ travel choices.
“Has corporate hypocrisy reached its peak? Starbucks pushes paper straws while the CEO flies in a private jet?” one user wrote on X.
“Typical hypocrisy—rules for the little people, but not for the kings of society,” another user commented.
( Raidi/Agung )
