Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe Fired Over Undisclosed Relationship, Philipp Navratil Steps in as New CEO
Laurent Freixe, the CEO of Nestle, was removed after an investigation into his "undisclosed romantic relationship" with a subordinate.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) September 3: The largest food corporation in the world is Nestle. They have sacked their CEO, Laurent Freixe. This is after an internal inquiry revealed that he had violated the firm's code of conduct by having a hidden intimate relationship with a direct subordinate. After being a CEO for over a year, Freixe was set to retire in a year.
Internal Probe Leads to Sudden Dismissal
The Swiss food giant has not revealed any additional information regarding the investigation or Freixe's salary for his brief tenure at the top. He will be immediately fired from the company. He will not be given any exit package.
The company said, “The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate which breached Nestlé's Code of Business Conduct,” in a statement.
Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke said, “This was a necessary decision. Nestlé's values and governance are strong foundations of our company.”
Freixe’s Long Career with Nestlé
Since 1986, Freixe has had positions with Nestlé all throughout the world. Freixe was appointed CEO of Zone Latin America. This is after the FMCG giant reorganized its geographic organization in January 2022. He was named CEO in August 2024. He succeeded then-CEO Mark Schneider. He assumed leadership on September 1st, 2024.
The subordinate's name has not been revealed. According to sources, the relationship was with a worker who is not on the executive board. The relationship created a conflict of interest, so the investigation got underway.
Philipp Navratil Appointed as Successor
Longtime Nestlé executive Philipp Navratil will take over as CEO in place of Freixe. He served as the executive for one year.
The company said, “Nestlé's Board of Directors today announces that Philipp Navratil has been appointed as CEO of Nestlé, S.A., following the dismissal of Laurent Freixe with immediate effect,” in a media statement.
Navratil began working at Nestle in 2001 as an internal auditor. He has had a number of positions throughout Central America. After joining Nestle's Coffee Strategic Business Unit in 2020, he rose to the position of CEO of the company's Nespresso division in 2024.
Philip Navratil said, “I am honored by the trust the Board has placed in me, and it is a privilege to take on the responsibility of leading Nestlé into the future. I fully embrace the company's strategic direction, as well as the action plan in place to drive Nestlé's performance,” after his appointment at Nestlé.
