Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe For Breach Of Conduct, Appoints Philipp Navratil

Nestlé has removed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Laurent Freixe after an internal probe confirmed he failed to disclose a romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, breaching the company’s code of conduct.

Further, the Board has appointed Philipp Navratil, Head of Nespresso and a Nestlé veteran since 2001, as the new CEO with immediate effect.

The investigation, overseen by Chairman Paul Bulcke and Lead Independent Director Pablo Isla, followed concerns raised through an internal hotline earlier this year. Nestle confirmed Freixe will not receive an exit package. Freixe joined Nestlé France in 1986 and advanced through leadership roles across Europe and Latin America. He headed Nestlé Hungary in 2003 and the Iberian region in 2007 before becoming Executive Vice President and Zone Director for Europe in 2008. He later led Nestlé’s Americas (2014) and Zone Latin America (2022). In 2024, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé S.A. Freixe studied business administration at EDHEC, Lille, and completed the Program for Executive Development at IMD, Switzerland.

Navratil has been with Nestlé since 2001, starting his career as an internal auditor before moving into commercial roles across Central America. In 2009, he was appointed Country Manager for Nestlé Honduras. By 2013, he led the coffee and beverage business in Mexico, strengthening the Nescafé brand and expanding its market presence. In 2020, Navratil joined Nestlé’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit, where he shaped global strategy and advanced innovation for Nescafé and Starbucks coffee. In July 2024, he took charge of Nespresso, where he drove growth and business momentum. On January 1, 2025, Navratil became a member of the Nestlé Executive Board, reflecting his two decades of leadership within the company’s global coffee portfolio.