Gulfstreams. $14,000 cappuccino machines. A $96M payday—6,666x the median wage he pays employees—while telling managers to cut costs. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is the poster boy for CEO narcissism. Here’s why investors should care.
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Why Verizon Deserves to Crash and Burn
Verizon only wants “high-quality” customers, says its $24 million CEO Hans Vestberg. If that’s the goal, investors should demand the immediate deactivation of Vestberg—and the dead-weight board he chairs.
AT&T’s John Stankey Enters CEO Hall of Shame
Mass layoffs. Major data breaches. A disrespected brand. And the architect of one of the worst media deals in recent corporate history.
AT&T CEO John Stankey’s record is a case study in failing upward.
And yet—last week—he told employees they must embrace AT&T’s new performance-based culture.
In-N-Out Burger’s Heart vs. Starbucks’ CEO Hype
If Starbucks’ hotshot CEO Brian Niccol wants to learn what real leadership looks like, he should spend some time shadowing Lynsi Snyder, president of the beloved In-N-Out Burger chain.
While Niccol hopscotches the country in a Gulfstream jet and manages Seattle-based Starbucks remotely from Southern California, Snyder plays bass in a company rock band that raises money to fight substance abuse and human trafficking.
Fool’s Gold: Jamie Dimon’s $795 Credit Card
“There’s a sucker born every minute,” P.T. Barnum once said.
That’s the target demographic for Chase Bank’s newly repositioned Sapphire Reserve credit card.
The Liberation of Dr. Mary Talley Bowden
The FDA dismissed her as a quack. Houston Methodist hospital gleefully vilified her. The corporate media tried to cancel her. Despite costly litigation, public abuse, and the toll on her family, Dr. Mary Talley Bowden remains unbowed.
Her defiant response? “I just feel free — like what else can they do to me.”
Southwest Looking to Satiate Wall Street’s Greed
Talk about a headline that left me disappointed. When I saw that Men’s Journal headline teasing Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan’s two-word response to scrapping the airline’s historic no-nickel-and-diming ethos, I had a glimmer of hope. Maybe Jordan had channeled his inner Jamie Dimon and let fly with the infamous…
United CEO Scott Kirby’s Unrivaled Despicability
If there were a Hall of Fame for compensation excess, customer contempt, and employee disdain, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby wouldn’t just have a plaque—he’d occupy the entire west wing.
Kohl’s Dishonest Directors Do Pinocchio Proud
Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, once said that “moral authority comes from following universal and timeless principles like honesty, integrity, and treating people with respect.”
With all due respect to the late Mr. Covey, the leaders of Kohl’s, GM, and Ford appear to disagree.
Starbucks’ Brian Niccol Triggers My Career PTSD
Some thoughts on why I find myself vicariously identifying with Bloomberg restaurant reporter Daniela Sirtori.