Nestlé CEO sacked over romantic relationship with employee

Nestlé said on Monday it dismissed its CEO, Laurent Freixe, following an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate.

The Swiss food giant, which makes Nescafé drinks and Purina pet food, said in a statement that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found the undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate violated Nestlé’s code of conduct.

Mr Freixe, who had been CEO for a year, will be replaced by Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive.

“This was a necessary decision,” Chairman Paul Bulcke said. “Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company.”

The company didn’t give any other details about the investigation.

Mr Freixe had been with Nestlé since 1986, holding roles around the world.

When Nestlé changed its geographic structure in January 2022, Mr Freixe became CEO of Zone Latin America. In August 2024, he was named to replace then-CEO Mark Schneider in the top role, and started on September 1, 2024.

Mr Navratil started his career with Nestlé in 2001 as an internal auditor and served in a variety of roles in Central America. In 2020, he joined Nestlé’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit, and in 2024, he became CEO of Nestlé’s Nespresso division.

It’s the latest in a string of personnel changes for the company.

Based in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé has been facing headwinds like other food makers, including rising commodity costs and the negative impact of tariffs. It said in July that it offset higher coffee and cocoa-related costs with price increases.