Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe Dismissed After Anonymous Hotline Investigation

Laurent Freixe was removed as Nestlé CEO following revelations of an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, which breached the company’s Code of Business Conduct requiring such relationships to be reported. The issue first came to light through an anonymous tip via Nestlé’s internal employee hotline, Speak Up, which is used for reporting non-compliance concerns. Despite an internal investigation finding no conclusive proof of the affair and denials from both Freixe and the marketing executive involved, media scrutiny intensified after a finance blog reported on the relationship and the woman's career advancement. It is suspected that Freixe personally approved her promotion to Vice President of Marketing for the Americas while he was leading that division. Nestlé emphasizes the importance of transparency and adherence to its values, which led to Freixe’s dismissal after he also denied the relationship to the board, worsening the matter. Philipp Navratil was appointed as the new CEO following Freixe’s departure.