Switzerland: Nestlé abruptly dismissed its Chief Executive Officer Laurent Freixe exactly one year after he assumed the role, following revelations of his previously undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate in the company.
The Swiss food and beverage giant confirmed on Monday, September 1, that Freixe had breached the company's code of business conduct, leading to his immediate removal. Philipp Navratil, a company veteran and former head of Nespresso, has taken over as CEO with immediate effect.
Who is Laurent Freixe?
A long-serving Nestlé executive, Laurent Freixe was born in April 1962 and was raised in Paris. He studied marketing at EDHEC Business School in Lille, graduating in 1985. Freixe, who once won a national handball championship at 16, began his career at Nestlé in 1986, starting with sales and marketing roles in France.
Over the following decades, he rose through the ranks with postings across Europe and Latin America. Notably, he led the launch of the successful Croustibat fish sticks brand in France, helped restructure a struggling snacks division, and steered the Nescafé Dolce Gusto brand to multi-billion euro revenues.
By age 37, Freixe had already become Head of the Dairy and Nutrition Division in France. He later served as CEO of Nestlé Hungaria Kft, led operations in Spain and Portugal, and took over Nestlé’s European zone in 2008. He was promoted to oversee the Americas in 2014 and became CEO of Zone Latin America in 2022.
On September 1, 2024, Freixe succeeded Ulf Mark Schneider as Nestlé’s global CEO. During his brief tenure, he reinstated the company’s 60/40 taste rule, cut hundreds of millions in costs, and reversed his predecessor’s restructuring efforts.
Allegations and Internal Investigation On Freixe
According to a report by Reuters, concerns about Freixe’s relationship with a subordinate were first raised in spring 2025 via an internal company hotline. Nestlé’s board, led by Chairman Paul Bulcke and Lead Independent Director Pablo Isla, initiated an internal investigation. Though the initial probe was inconclusive, continued concerns led to a second, external investigation.
This second inquiry confirmed the romantic relationship, despite Freixe reportedly denying the allegations when first confronted by the board. Nestlé cited the violation of its code of conduct as grounds for his immediate dismissal. A company spokesperson told Reuters that Freixe would not receive any exit package.
Freixe’s removal follows his predecessor’s ousting and adds to a series of high-profile executive departures in the global consumer goods industry, with companies facing mounting scrutiny over leadership conduct.
Nestlé's Official Statement
In a statement released by Nestlé, Chairman Paul Bulcke said, “This was a necessary decision. Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service.” The company also clarified that despite the leadership change, there would be no deviation from its existing strategy or performance targets.
Freixe himself has not issued a personal statement on the matter as of the time of reporting. However, his LinkedIn profile remains active, continuing to list him as Nestlé CEO and highlighting his role in launching the "Nestlé Needs YOUth" initiative during his time in Latin America.
