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Nestlé, the Swiss food multinational, on Monday abruptly dismissed its chief executive, Laurent Freixe, over what it called an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate.
The maker of Nespresso coffee and KitKat chocolates said the decision followed an internal investigation. In a swift succession move, the company’s board appointed Nespresso CEO, Philipp Navratil, as the new group chief executive.
“The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate which breached Nestlé’s code of business conduct,” the company said in a statement.
The probe was led by Chairman Paul Bulcke and lead independent director Pablo Isla, with support from external legal advisers.
“This was a necessary decision. Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service,” Bulcke added.
Freixe, who joined Nestlé in France in 1986, built a long career across Europe and Latin America. He oversaw the company’s European operations through the financial crisis of 2008 and later headed its Latin American division before his promotion to chief executive in September 2024.
His appointment was aimed at reviving consumer spending on Nestlé’s food and household products.
Navratil, his successor, has been with the company since 2001. He held several roles in Central America, led the coffee and beverage business in Mexico from 2013 to 2020, and later managed global strategy and innovation for Nescafé and Starbucks products.
He became Nespresso CEO in July 2024 and joined the company’s board in January 2025.
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