Nestlé dismisses CEO over undisclosed relationship with subordinate after investigation

Nestlé has fired CEO Laurent Freixe over an undisclosed romantic relationship with a subordinate.  

The Swiss food giant made the announcement Monday after an investigation uncovered the relationship with a direct subordinate – violating Nestlé’s code of conduct, The Hill news outlet reported.

Freixe, who had been CEO since last September, will be replaced by Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive.

“This was a necessary decision,” Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke said. “Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company.”

Nestlé didn't disclose details of the investigation.

Freixe had been with Nestlé since 1986, holding various roles around the world. When Nestlé revamped its geographic structure in January 2022, he became CEO of Zone Latin America.