Starbucks said Wednesday its former chief executive Howard Schultz will step down from the coffee chain’s board of directors “as part of a planned transition.”
Schultz, who ended his third stint as CEO in March, helped transform the brand from a small coffee shop into an international chain over the decades.
In 2017, Schultz stepped aside as chief executive after his second tenure, handing the reins to Kevin Johnson. He later announced his retirement from the company and weighed a run for US president.
In the company’s statement on Wednesday, it also announced that Wei Zhang, most recently a senior advisor to Alibaba Group, has been elected to the board of directors effective October 1.
Starbucks has in recent times come under fire over its confrontational approach to unionisation, with Schultz defending against allegations it had violated US labour laws in countering the campaign.
In a hearing convened by progressive Senator Bernie Sanders earlier this year, Schultz said he was unaware of instances where workers were fired or relocated to other stores because of union activity.
Today, the Seattle-based corporation has more than 36,000 stores in 86 markets globally, according to the company. — AFP
