Nestlé dismisses CEO Laurent Freixe over code of conduct breach

Nestl has removed CEO Laurent Freixe from his position following an internal investigation into a code of conduct violation.  The company announced that Philipp Navratil, a long-serving Nestl executive, has been appointed as his successor. The investigation, overseen by Chairman Paul Bulcke and Lead Independent Director Pablo Isla, revealed that Freixe engaged in an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinatean act deemed to have breached the companys strict code of business conduct. Bulcke stated:This was a necessary decision. Nestls values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service. Freixe had taken over as CEO in September 2024 after the company ousted his predecessor, Mark Schneider. Navratil, who began his Nestl career in 2001 as an internal auditor, has held key roles across Central America, Mexico, and the companys global coffee division. He joined Nespresso in 2024 and became a member of Nestls executive board in January 2025, making him a natural successor amid the leadership shake-up. The abrupt departure underscores Nestls zero-tolerance policy for breaches of corporate ethics and signals a renewed focus on governance and integrity at the highest level of the company. The post Nestl dismisses CEO Laurent Freixe over code of conduct breach appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.