After 46 years of service, including 14 years on the executive board, almost nine years as CEO and nine years as chairman, Paul Bulcke has decided to step down from the Nestle SA board at the end of the company's next annual meeting, next year.
The board of directors has proposed Pablo Isla, Nestlé's current vice chairman, for election as chairman at the annual meeting April 16, 2026, “allowing time for a smooth transition and an orderly hand-over.”
Paul Bulcke joined Nestlé in 1979 and was appointed to the executive board in 2004, responsible for Zone Americas. He was elected a directors in 2008 and served as the company's CEO 2008-2016 and as chairman of the board since April 2017.
PHOTO AT TOP: Paul Bulcke left, Laurent Freixe right.
Isla was CEO of Inditex, a Spanish clothing manufacturer, 2005-2011 and chairman and CEO 2011-2022. He joined Nestlé's board of directors in 2018 and has been vice chairman and lead independent director since 2024. He’s also a member of the company's Nomination, Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees.
Recall that Laurent Freixe just became CEO of Nestlé last September, replacing Mark Schneider.
