Nestlé dismisses CEO after undisclosed romantic relationship with subordinate

Swiss food giant Nestlé said Monday it dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate.

The maker of Nescafé drinks and Purina pet food said in a statement that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found the undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate violated Nestlé's code of conduct.

"This was a necessary decision," said Chairman Paul Bulcke. "Nestlé's values and governance are strong foundations of our company."

The company did not give any other details about the investigation.

Nestlé leadership

Freixe had been with Nestlé since 1986, holding roles around the world. When Nestlé revamped its geographic structure in January 2022, Freixe became CEO of Zone Latin America.

In August 2024, he was tapped to replace then-CEO Mark Schneider in the top role and started on 1 September 2024.

New CEO, Navratil, began his career with Nestlé in 2001 as an internal auditor and held various roles in Central America.

In 2020, he joined Nestlé's Coffee Strategic Business Unit, and in 2024, he became CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division.

It's the latest in a string of personnel changes for the company. In June, Bulcke, a former CEO who has been chairman of the board since 2017, said he would not stand for re-election in 2026.

And in April, Steve Presley, an executive vice president and CEO of Zone Americas, said he was retiring after almost 30 years of service.

Based in Vevey in Switzerland, Nestlé has been facing headwinds like other food makers, including rising commodity costs and the negative impact of tariffs. It said in July it offset higher coffee and cocoa-related costs with price increases.