Nestlé Dismisses CEO Freixe, Appoints Navratil Amid Leadership Turmoil

Nestlé has dismissed CEO Laurent Freixe following an investigation that revealed an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, violating the company's code of conduct. The investigation was overseen by Nestlé's Chairman Paul Bulcke and Lead Independent Director Pablo Isla, with outside counsel support. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive with over 20 years of experience including leadership roles in the coffee and beverage business and CEO of Nespresso, has been named Freixe's successor. This leadership change marks the third CEO appointment at Nestlé within a year, following the ousting of Mark Schneider due to sluggish company performance. Navratil is expected to continue the company's strategic direction focused on growth, efficiency, and maintaining strong governance values. Nestlé faces ongoing challenges such as high commodity prices and consumer spending slowdowns amid this executive transition.