Howard Schultz Applauds Starbucks Comeback Plan at Leadership Event

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz gave a strong vote of confidence to current CEO Brian Niccol during a surprise appearance at the company’s Leadership Experience event in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Speaking to over 14,000 store leaders, Schultz said he “did a cartwheel” when Niccol introduced his “back to Starbucks” strategy, a plan aimed at restoring the company’s culture and improving declining sales. The comment was seen as a public endorsement from the man who turned Starbucks into a global coffee brand.

Niccol became CEO in September after the board replaced Laxman Narasimhan, Schultz’s previous handpicked successor. Since then, Starbucks stock has risen nearly 20%, regaining ground lost earlier this year.

This marks the first public appearance of Schultz and Niccol together. Schultz, now chairman emeritus, no longer holds an active role in the company and sold off his Starbucks shares between late 2024 and early 2025. However, he retains the right to attend board meetings.

Niccol’s strategy includes returning to core brand values, such as focusing on coffee rather than promotions, reintroducing in-store seating, and emphasizing customer personalization. Schultz praised these efforts, stating that the company’s issues went beyond operations and marketing, they also included a lack of cultural clarity.

“The culture was not understood. The culture wasn’t valued. The culture wasn’t being upheld,” Schultz said.

His support adds weight to Niccol’s turnaround efforts as Starbucks aims to reconnect with both customers and employees in the months ahead.