Who Is Laurent Freixe, Nestle CEO Fired Over "Romantic Relationship" With Employee

Nestle has removed CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation revealed he was in an "undisclosed romantic relationship" with a subordinate. His conduct violated company policy.

The Swiss multinational appointed Nespresso CEO Philipp Navratil as his replacement.

Mr Freixe's exit, after 40 years with the company, followed an investigation overseen by Nestle chair Paul Bulcke and lead independent director Pablo Isla, with support from outside counsel.

"This was a necessary decision," Mr Bulcke said. "Nestle's values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service."

Nestle is known for brands, including Nespresso coffee capsules and KitKat chocolate bars.

Who Is Laurent Freixe?

Laurent Freixe was born in 1962 in Paris, France. He is French and speaks French, English, Spanish, and German. He studied business administration at Ecole de Hautes Etudes Commerciales du Nord (EDHEC) in Lille, France, and completed the Program for Executive Development at IMD, Switzerland.

Mr Freixe joined Nestle in 1986, rising from sales and marketing in France to lead Nestle Hungary and the Iberian Region, before joining the Executive Board for Zone Europe. He also launched Nestle's youth initiative, Nestle Needs YOUth, as per his LinkedIn account.

In 2014, Mr Freixe became Executive Vice President and CEO of Zone Americas, overseeing the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He was named International Youth Ambassador in 2018 and, in 2022, became Executive Vice President and CEO of Zone Latin America, also supporting the CEO on zone coordination. 

On September 1, 2024, Mr Freixe took over as CEO of Neste, succeeding Ulf Mark Schneider. He was fired exactly a year later.

Mr Freixe has served on several boards, including Cereal Partners Worldwide, the Consumer Goods Forum in Latin America, and Froneri SA. Since 2019, he has chaired the Global Apprenticeship Network, and from 2023, he has been on the Executive Committee of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. He is also a member of the EDHEC Business School Advisory Board, the European Roundtable, and the IMD Foundation Board.