SWISS food giant Nestlé has dismissed its chief executive, Laurent Freixe (pic), with immediate effect following an internal investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, in breach of company conduct rules.
AP reported on Tuesday that the maker of Nescafé and Purina said in a statement on Monday that Freixe’s dismissal followed a breach of its code of conduct. The company did not provide further details about the investigation.
“This was a necessary decision,” said Nestlé chairman Paul Bulcke. “Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company.”
Freixe, who only assumed the CEO role on 1 September 2024, after being appointed the previous August, will be replaced by Philipp Navratil, a long-serving Nestlé executive and most recently head of the company’s Nespresso division.
Navratil joined Nestlé in 2001 as an internal auditor and has held roles across Central America. In 2020, he joined the Coffee Strategic Business Unit, before leading Nespresso in 2024.
Freixe had been with Nestlé since 1986, holding various senior positions globally. He was named CEO of Zone Latin America following the company’s structural overhaul in January 2022, and later succeeded Mark Schneider as global CEO.
His dismissal marks the latest in a series of senior leadership changes at Nestlé. In April, Steve Presley, CEO of Zone Americas, announced his retirement after nearly three decades with the firm. In June, Bulcke confirmed he would not seek re-election as chairman in 2026.
Headquartered in Vevey, Nestlé has been contending with industry-wide challenges, including rising commodity prices and the impact of tariffs. In July, the company said it had mitigated coffee and cocoa-related cost increases through pricing adjustments. - Sept 2, 2025
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