Swiss food giant Nestlé has said it dismissed its chief executive Laurent Freixe due to an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.
The maker of Nescafé drinks and Purina pet food said in a statement the dismissal was effective immediately.
An investigation found the undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate violated Nestlé’s code of conduct.
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Freixe, who had been chief executive for a year, will be replaced by Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive.
“This was a necessary decision,” said Chairman Paul Bulcke.
“Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company.”
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Navratil started his career with Nestlé in 2001 as an internal auditor and served in a variety of roles in Central America.
In 2020, he joined Nestlé’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit, and in 2024, he became CEO of Nestlé’s Nespresso division.
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