Nestlé Fires CEO Over Undisclosed Affairs Amid Internal Scandal

Laurent Freixe, CEO of Nestlé for less than a year and a nearly 40-year company veteran, was abruptly fired for violating the company's code of conduct by failing to disclose a relationship with a direct report. The termination followed a scandal in which a senior executive, reportedly Freixe's longtime mistress, caught him in a Zurich hotel room with another subordinate and filed a complaint via Nestlé's anonymous whistleblower hotline. This complaint triggered an internal investigation, leading to a dramatic confrontation where Nestlé's Chairman Paul Bulcke and Vice Chair Pablo Isla accused Freixe of lying, demanded his phone, and dismissed him immediately without severance. The 'main mistress' who exposed the affair received a severance package and has since moved to a senior role at another firm, while the subordinate involved also left with a generous payout arranged by Freixe before his ouster. Nestlé has confirmed the dismissal but declined to comment on the detailed allegations or investigation findings. The episode highlights serious internal turmoil at Nestlé involving multiple affairs and corporate governance breaches.