Dive Brief:
- Starbucks has hired Marika McCauley Sine as its new chief sustainability officer, according to a LinkedIn post she shared earlier this month. McCauley Sine will take over from former CSO Michael Kobori, who is set to retire toward the end of the year.
- McCauley Sine comes over from chocolate, food and petcare multinational Mars Inc., where she served as the global vice president of sustainability for over five years and chief sustainability officer of Mars’ pet care business for over four years, concurrently, per her LinkedIn profile.
- As the coffee chain’s new CSO, McCauley Sine will oversee its ESG strategy, including its climate and social initiatives. The company updated its climate goals earlier this year to slash its climate, water, and waste footprints by 50% by 2030, compared to a 2019 baseline.
Dive Insight:
McCauley Sine will report to Starbucks Executive Vice President of Global Coffee and Sustainability Michelle Burns, who has been in management at the company since 2013 and an employee since 1995.
“It will be an honor to lead sustainability for such an impactful business and beloved brand, in collaboration with talented partners and community members around the world,” McCauley Sine said in the Nov. 7 post announcing her new role.
While at Mars, McCauley Sine oversaw its pet care business’s sustainability and governance strategy, which focused on climate action goals, circular packaging and sustainable sourcing of raw materials, according to her LinkedIn. She initially joined the food and snacking company as a human rights director and oversaw the company’s “Thriving People” pillar — the social component of its ESG strategy — which aims to address and improve gender and income equity and boost opportunities for women across the company’s supply chain.
Prior to Mars, McCauley Sine spent over a decade at The Coca-Cola Company, working across a range of sustainability roles. There she also led global partnerships focused on nutrition access, human rights and economic development.
McCauley Sine’s appointment comes at a critical time for the coffee giant, which reported an increase in carbon emissions earlier this year. Starbucks’ carbon footprint increased by 8% in the fiscal year 2023, compared to a 2019 baseline, according to the company’s latest ESG report. The company also reported a 13% increase in waste sent to landfill.
The jump in emissions hinders its long-term sustainability goals, which include a target to transition into a net-zero business by 2050.
Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
