“A year ago, I signaled to the board that as the global pandemic neared an end, I would be considering retirement from Starbucks,” Mr. Johnson said. Starbucks said he would continue to serve on the board and as a consultant through September. The company said it had been planning for the succession since last year and anticipated it would have a new chief executive by fall.The first time Mr. Schultz returned to Starbucks, he abruptly replaced Jim Donald as chief executive when the company was struggling with a downturn in the economy, an influx of coffee competition and missteps.This time, while Starbucks is on stronger financial footing, Mr. Schultz will have to deal with the rising union issue, a concern he has faced before.When he acquired Starbucks in 1987, several of the company’s Seattle stores were un …
