Nestlé has dismissed Chief Executive Laurent Freixe after an internal probe found he had an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, violating the company’s code of business conduct.
The investigation, ordered by Nestlé’s board and overseen by Chairman Paul Bulcke and lead independent director Pablo Isla with external counsel support, concluded that Freixe breached governance standards.
“This was a necessary decision,” Bulcke said. “Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company.”
Philipp Navratil, a company veteran who joined Nestlé in 2001, has been appointed CEO. Navratil began his career as an internal auditor and has held multiple leadership positions across Central America and the global coffee business. In 2020, he moved to Nestlé’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit, and in 2024, he became CEO of Nespresso.
Nestlé, headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, has faced pressure from rising commodity costs and tariffs. The company said in July that price increases helped offset higher expenses for coffee and cocoa.
