How former Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe's affair was exposed. Will he receive exit package? Check details

Swiss food giant Nestle on Monday announced that it has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe over a code of conduct breach after he failed to disclose a “romantic relationship” with a “direct subordinate”. The company said Laurent Freixe was found to have breached the company's code of conduct.

The world's largest food company named Philipp Navratil as the CEO. Navratil will take over from Freixe with immediate effect. Nestle, which makes products ranging from KitKat to Nespresso coffee, said Laurent Freixe had been dismissed with “immediate effect” following an investigation led by Chairman Paul Bulcke and Lead Independent Director Pablo Isla.

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How Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe's affair was exposed?

According to a report in BBC, the investigation was triggered by a report made through the company's whistleblowing channel. Nestle chair Paul Bulcke said, "This was a necessary decision. Nestle's values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service at Nestle."


63-year-old Laurent Freixe is a French business executive who served as the CEO of Nestle for exactly one year. He was dismissed on September 1, 2025, he was dismissed after an investigation into his “undisclosed romantic relationship” with a subordinate.

Laurent Freixe had spent nearly four decades at the Nestle and later on went on to become the CEO in September 2024. Laurent Freixe was dismissed with "immediate effect" after an investigation led by Nestle's Chairman Paul Bulcke and Lead Independent Director, Pablo Isla.

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

Whom did Laurent Frexie have a relationship with?

The name of the subordinate has not been disclosed. The relationship was with an employee who is not on the executive board, BBC reported. The investigation was launched because the relationship presented a conflict of interest.

According to a report in The Financial Times, concerns were raised earlier this year about Freixe’s relationship with an employee. An internal investigation initially found the allegations to be unsubstantiated. However, after complaints continued, Nestle launched a second inquiry with the help of external counsel, which ultimately upheld the claims.

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Nestlé has not revealed Laurent Freixe’s exact compensation since his appointment as CEO just a year ago. However, a report by The Telegraph noted that his predecessor earned 9.6 million Swiss francs (approximately $11.9 million USD), suggesting Freixe’s salary would have been in a similar range.

As per Nestlé’s 2024 compensation report, Freixe also owned a little over 41,000 company shares, currently valued at around $3.6 million USD. Despite his sudden departure, Freixe will not receive an exit package, according to the BBC.