Howard Schultz leaves Starbucks board over concerns he was a distraction: report

Reports say that his leaving is due in part to his stridently anti-union stance.

Previous interim CEO and now former board member of Starbucks, Howard Schultz was said to have left the business because he realised he had become a ‘distraction’ for the coffee chain, a report by the New York Post said, citing industry sources.

In March, Schultz ended his third and final stint as CEO but remained a board member. However, the report said in recent months, Schultz and the other board members felt that his presence in the company was too controversial.

Schultz was previouisly called before the US Congress to testify on union-busting charges.

“The business has changed a ton since Howard’s heyday. It doesn’t make sense for him to be part of it anymore,” sources told the New York Post.