Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe sacked over ‘undisclosed romantic relationship’
Laurent Freixe, 63, has been sacked as CEO of Nestle after an internal investigation found he had a relationship with a subordinate
Laurent Freixe, the CEO of Nestlé, has been dismissed due to an “undisclosed romantic relationship” that violated the company’s code of business conduct. An internal probe revealed that Mr Freixe, 63, was involved in a relationship with a subordinate, leading to his dismissal from the Swiss multinational, where he took up the role of CEO just last year.
Philipp Navratil has already been announced as his successor. The 49 year old Swiss national holds an MBA from the University of St. Gallen.
Despite only assuming the role of CEO in 2024, Mr Freixe had a long-standing career at Nestlé, spanning 40 years, during which he climbed the corporate ladder. However, following allegations against the Frenchman, an investigation was launched by Nestlé, supervised by its chair, Paul Bulcke, and lead independent director, Pablo Isla, with external counsel’s assistance.
The investigation confirmed that Mr Freixe, who began his career at Nestlé negotiating contracts with food retailers, did indeed have a relationship with a direct subordinate, contravening the company’s code of conduct.
In a statement, Mr Bulcke said: “This was a necessary decision. Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service.”
Founded in 1866, Nestlé owns several consumer goods brands, including KitKat chocolate, Häagen-Dazs ice cream, and Nespresso coffee capsules, reports the Mirror. While headquartered in Switzerland, its products are available worldwide.
The firm’s new chief executive, Mr Navratil, was “recognised for his impressive track record of achieving results in challenging environments” when the company announced his appointment as Mr Freixe’s successor.
Mr Navratil started his journey with Nestlé in 2001 working as an internal auditor.
Following various commercial positions across Central America, he secured the role of country manager for Nestlé Honduras in 2009.
The company’s statement declared: “Nestlé is renowned for his dynamic presence, he inspires teams and leads with a collaborative, inclusive management style.
“The board is confident that he will drive our growth plans forward and accelerate efficiency efforts. We are not changing course on strategy and we will not lose pace on performance.”
No additional details were provided regarding Mr Freixe’s breach of conduct.
Mr Navratil took charge of the coffee and beverage operations in Mexico in 2013, before moving to Nestlé’s coffee strategic business division in 2020.
He transferred to Nespresso in July 2024, and became part of Nestlé’s executive board on January 1 this year.
