Nestlé has dismissed company veteran Laurent Freixe with immediate effect following an investigation into an “undisclosed romantic relationship”, replacing him as chief executive with Philipp Navratil.
The Swiss consumer goods company behind brands including Kit Kat and Nescafé said the departure of Freixe, who had been with the company for nearly 40 years, followed an investigation into a relationship with a direct subordinate which breached its code of business conduct.
“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,” said chair Paul Bulcke.