- Philipp Navratil appointed Nestle CEO after Laurent Freixe's dismissal for policy breach
- Laurent Freixe removed due to undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate
- Navratil holds dual Swiss and Austrian nationality and an MBA from University of St. Gallen
Nestle has appointed Philipp Navratil as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), following the dismissal of Laurent Freixe, who was in a relationship with an employee in violation of company policy.
The Swiss food and beverage giant said Mr Freixe was removed following an internal probe that revealed his undisclosed romantic relationship with a subordinate.
The company, in a statement, said, "The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, which breached Nestle's code of business conduct."
Paul Bulcke, Chairman of the Board, and Lead Independent Director Pablo Isla said, "This was a necessary decision. Nestle's values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service."
Who is Philipp Navratil?
Philipp Navratil was born in 1976 in Switzerland and holds both Swiss and Austrian nationality. He earned a Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance and Capital Markets from the University of St. Gallen in 1996.
During his studies, he also participated in an exchange term at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B). In 2011, he attended the Senior Management Program (SMP) at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland.
He began his career as an International Auditor in 2001, taking responsibility for the organisation and the results of each audit assignment. In 2009, he became the country manager for Nestle; Honduras, following a series of commercial roles in Central America.
In 2013, Mr Navratil took charge of Nestle's coffee and beverage business in Mexico, one of the company's most competitive and strategically important markets. He was the driving force behind the growth of the Nestle brand.
He was promoted to Nestle's Global Coffee Strategic Business Division in 2020, where he oversaw the global strategy and innovation for two of Nestle's most important coffee brands, Nescafe and the licensed Starbucks coffee products.
Mr Navratil assumed leadership of Nespresso, Nestle's premium coffee business in 2024 and then joined the Nestle Executive Board on January 1.
He is married and has two children.
