Nestlé dismisses CEO due to an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate

Swiss food giant Nestlé said Monday it dismissed its CEO, Laurent Freixe, due to an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.

The maker of 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.

The direct subordinate was not identified.

Freixe had been CEO for a year, according to the company. He first joined Nestlé in France in 1986, working in marketing and sales. He later became the head of the Nutrition Division of Nestlé France in 1999. Freixe continued to work his way up the corporate ladder, becoming regional CEO of Nestlé before finally being appointed the top position last September.

He will be replaced as CEO by Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive.

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

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.