Following an internal investigation that revealed he had an undeclared relationship with a subordinate, Nestle fired Chief Executive Laurent Freixe. Nestle veteran Philipp Navratil becomes the next CEO. He joined the company in 2001 and most recently served as the head of the Nespresso division. A statement claims that Freixe was fired after an internal investigation revealed that he had violated Nestle’s code of business conduct by having an unreported intimate relationship with a direct subordinate. With the help of outside attorneys, the board said it had authorized the investigation, which was headed by Chairman Paul Bulcke and lead independent director Pablo Isla. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that Nestle’s governance was unaffected, saying, “This was a necessary decision.” “Nestle’s governance and values are solid pillars of our business,” he continued.
Before being promoted to the top position, Navratil held a number of positions in the company’s international coffee business and throughout Central America. In 2001, Navratil started working with Nestle as an internal auditor. He later held a number of positions throughout Central America. He was appointed CEO of Nestle’s Nespresso business in 2024 after relocating to the company’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit in 2020. Nestle, which has its headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, has had difficulty due to increased tariffs and commodities prices. In July, the business stated that pricing hikes helped offset increased costs for cocoa and coffee.
