On September 1, 2025, Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe dismissed immediately after being confirmed to have had an undisclosed relationship with one of his immediate subordinates. According to the company, this was done because its Code of Business Conduct had been violated.
The internal investigation into the Laurent Freixe relationship was led by Chairman Paul Bulcke and Lead Independent Director Pablo Isla, with support from external counsel. Initial concerns were raised through Nestlé’s employee hotline in the spring, which later led to a formal inquiry.
Nestlé confirmed that Laurent Freixe will not receive any exit package as part of his dismissal.
After Nestle announced the dismissal of CEO Laurent Freixe they appoint Philipp Navratil to assume the new position of Chief Executive officer. Navratil, a Nestle employee since 2001, has worked as a senior in Central America, Mexico, and as a global head of the coffee division. He was the chairman of Nespresso before this appointment and joined the Executive Board since January 2025.
Chairman Paul Bulcke emphasized that the decision was necessary to uphold Nestlé’s governance standards. The company confirmed that its long-term strategic direction remains unchanged under the new leadership.
Laurent Freixe had taken over as CEO in late 2024, succeeding Mark Schneider. His tenure lasted less than a year before the dismissal. Nestlé recently reported a 10% drop in half-year profits to around $6.3 billion, citing tariff pressures and currency fluctuations. Company shares have fallen by nearly 17% in the past year.
Nestlé also faces increased competition after the merger of Keurig Dr Pepper and JDE Peet’s, which is expected to challenge Nestlé’s position in the global coffee market.
