Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe who has been sacked over affair with colleague denies having romantic relationship with subordinate

Nestle's dismissed CEO Laurent Freixe denied having a relationship with a direct subordinate to the company's board, which was a breach of the firm's code of conduct, a spokesperson for the Swiss firm told Reuters on Monday. Nestle sacked Freixe after what it called a romantic relationship with a subordinate, a dramatic removal a year after he took the reins. The shock departure threatens more volatility for Nestle amid a tough consumer environment and the global threat of trade tariffs. The firm announced in June that long-standing Chairman Paul Bulcke would stand down next year. Nestle said Freixe's departure follows an investigation overseen by Bulcke and Lead Independent Director Pablo Isla into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, which breached the company's code of business conduct.

The maker of products ranging from KitKat to Nesquik said that it had appointed veteran insider Philipp Navratil, who had headed the Nespresso coffee unit, as Freixe's successor with immediate effect.

Company veteran Freixe took over the CEO role exactly one year ago after Nestle ousted his predecessor Mark Schneider.


The sudden exit is the latest management reshuffle at a global consumer goods and food company this year, including Nestle rival Unilever, Diageo and Hershey.

Kohl's fired CEO Ashley Buchanan in May after an investigation found he had pushed for deals with a vendor with whom he had a personal relationship, after little more than 100 days in the position.

Navratil began his career with Nestle in 2001 as an internal auditor. After holding various commercial roles in Central America, he was appointed country manager for Nestle Honduras in 2009.

Navratil assumed leadership of the coffee and beverage business in Mexico in 2013, and transitioned to Nestle's Coffee strategic business unit in 2020. He moved to Nespresso in July 2024, and joined the Nestle executive board on January 1 this year.

FAQs

Q1. Who is current CEO of Nestle?
A1. Nestle said that it had appointed veteran insider Philipp Navratil as the company's CEO.

Q2. What happened to Kohl CEO?
A2. Kohl's fired CEO Ashley Buchanan in May after an investigation found he had pushed for deals with a vendor with whom he had a personal relationship, after little more than 100 days in the position.