Howard Schultz wants Starbucks to go on a soul-searching journey.The coffee chain founder and former CEO posted a two-page letter on LinkedIn on Thursday that he sent to the company's leadership in early February.Schultz, 70, first served as CEO from 1987 to 2000, then from 2008 to 2017, and then returned in April 2022 as interim CEO until March 2023.
'Schultz said that not all companies stand the test of time or have a 'soul,' which he describes as a combined sense of history, culture, values, and connection.But he said Starbucks, whose customer base shares a love for coffee and community around the world, is one of the few brands that does. Schultz said leadership should address Starbucks' systemic issues and come back to the brand's core values, Schultz said.