Nestlé Names New CEO, Freixe Out Due to Inappropriate Relationship
Nestlé SA today (Sept. 1) appointed 24-year veteran Philipp Navratil as CEO following the dismissal of Laurent Freixe for “an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate which breached Nestlé's Code of Business Conduct,” the company said. Freixe had been CEO exactly one year.
“In line with best practice corporate governance, the board ordered an investigation overseen by Chairman Paul Bulcke and Lead Independent Director [and chairman-designate] Pablo Isla, with the support of independent outside counsel,” today’s announcement said.
Chairman Bulcke added, "This was a necessary decision. Nestlé's values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service at Nestlé… We are not changing course on strategy and we will not lose pace on performance."
Navratil was an executive vice president and CEO of Nestle Nespresso SA. He began his career with Nestlé in 2001 as an internal auditor. After holding roles in Central America, he was appointed country manager for Nestlé Honduras in 2009. In 2013, he assumed leadership of the coffee and beverage business in Mexico.
In 2020, Navratil transitioned to Nestlé's Coffee Strategic Business Unit, where he was responsible for shaping the global strategy and driving innovation for Nescafé and Starbucks coffee brands. He assumed his position at Nespresso in July 2024 and joined the Nestlé executive board this Jan. 1.
Ironically, Freixe was appointed CEO last Sept. 1, suddenly replacing Mark Schneider, who “has decided to relinquish his roles as CEO and member of the board of directors,” last year’s company announcement said.
PHOTO AT TOP: Laurent Freixe left, Philipp Navratil right.
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Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.