Nestlé has announced the departure of its CEO Laurent Freixe, as Philipp Navratil is appointed chief executive.
Philipp Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 as an internal auditor. After holding various commercial roles in Central America, he was appointed country manager for Nestlé Honduras in 2009.
In 2013, Navratil assumed leadership of the coffee and beverage business in Mexico, before moving into Nestlé’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit in 2020 and a position at Nespresso in July 2024. On 1st January 2025, Navratil joined the Nestlé executive board.
Philipp Navratil, CEO of Nestlé, commented: “I am honoured by the trust the board has placed in me, and it is a privilege to take on the responsibility of leading Nestlé into the future. I fully embrace the company’s strategic direction, as well as the action plan in place to drive Nestlé’s performance.
“I look forward to working closely with the entire leadership of the company, in alignment with the board, chairman Paul Bulcke, and chairman-designate Pablo Isla, to accelerate execution and to drive the value creation plan with intensity.”
Laurent Freixe dismissed
A statement from Nestlé said that the departure of Laurent Freixe followed an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, which breached Nestlé’s Code of Business Conduct.
The board ordered an investigation overseen by chairman Paul Bulcke and lead independent director, Pablo Isla, with the support of independent outside counsel.
Paul Bulcke, chairman of Nestlé, stated: “This was a necessary decision. Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service at Nestlé.
“I am pleased to announce Philipp Navratil as CEO. Philipp is recognised for his impressive track record of achieving results in challenging environments. Renowned for his dynamic presence, he inspires teams and leads with a collaborative, inclusive management style. The board is confident that he will drive our growth plans forward and accelerate efficiency efforts. We are not changing course on strategy and we will not lose pace on performance.”
