Nestlé says it dismissed CEO Laurent Freixe over an undisclosed romantic relationship with his direct subordinate

Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe speaks during a general shareholders meeting of Swiss food giant Nestle in Ecublens, near Lausanne, on April 16, 2025.
Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe speaks during a general shareholders meeting of Swiss food giant Nestle in Ecublens, near Lausanne, on April 16, 2025.

Gabriel Monnet/AFP via Getty Images

  • Nestlé dismisses CEO Laurent Freixe.
  • Freixe's dismissal follows a violation of corporate policy on workplace relationships, Nestlé said.
  • Philipp Navratil, former Nestlé Nespresso CEO, will succeed Freixe as the new CEO.

Nestlé says it has dismissed its chief executive, Laurent Freixe, after uncovering that he failed to disclose a romantic relationship with a direct subordinate in a violation of corporate policy.

Freixe will be succeeded by Philipp Navratil, who was previously chief executive of Nestlé Nespresso.

Freixe, a four-decade fixture of the Swiss food and beverage giant, was tapped for the role 14 months ago to revive growth after a period of sluggish performance under his predecessor, Mark Schneider.

Nestlé said board chairman Paul Bulcke and Pablo Isla, an independent board member and the former Zara chief executive, oversaw the investigation with the support of outside counsel. Bulcke framed the dismissal as both necessary and symbolic of Nestlé's standards, while expressing gratitude for Freixe's tenure.

"This was a necessary decision," Bulcke said in a statement. "Nestlé's values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service at Nestlé."

Business Insider has reached out to Freixe for comment.

This story is developing and will be updated.

Read the original article on Business Insider


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