Nestlé has fired their top executive over a romantic relationship. Nestlé has fired its chief executive after just one year in the job because he failed to disclose a “romantic relationship” with a “direct subordinate.”
Nestlé chair Paul Bulcke 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 at Nestlé.”
The Swiss food giant said Laurent Freixe had been dismissed with “immediate effect” following an investigation led by Nestlé’s chair and lead independent director.
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The Financial Times has reported that concerns were raised about Freixe’s relationship with an employee earlier this year and, after an internal investigation, the claims were found to be unsubstantiated.
A spokesperson for Nestlé said: “We acted at all times in line with best practice corporate governance.
“The external investigation was opened shortly after the initial internal investigation, and today’s decision shows that we are taking allegations and investigations seriously.”
Philipp Navratil, who has been with Nestlé since 2001, has been appointed as Freixe’s successor.
Laurent Freixe, born in Paris in 1962, had a long and distinguished career at Nestlé, spanning nearly four decades. Starting in 1986, he worked his way up through various roles in marketing and sales across multiple regions, including leadership positions as CEO of Nestlé Hungary, the Iberian Region, and later Zone Europe and Zone Americas. Freixe was known for his commitment to sustainability and social initiatives. His leadership emphasized environmental responsibility, including efforts to achieve zero waste to landfill in Nestlé’s factories across the Americas.
However, Freixe’s tenure as Nestlé’s CEO was brief. Appointed in September 2024, he was dismissed less than a year later in September 2025 following an internal investigation that uncovered an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, violating the company’s code of conduct. This abrupt exit may mark a turbulent period for Nestlé’s leadership, coming on the heels of other executive changes. Despite the controversy, Freixe’s impact on Nestlé’s global operations and sustainability efforts remains part of his legacy.
Freixe had reportedly been with Nestle for nearly 40 years but stepped up to the global chief executive role last September, replacing Mark Schneider.
Reminiscent of Nestlé Chief’s ousting over a personal relationship, tech company Astronomer this summer found itself thrust into crisis when CEO Andy Byron was caught embracing the firm’s HR head, Kristin Cabot, on a Coldplay concert “kiss cam,” igniting online frenzy and triggering his resignation.
Just as Nestlé swiftly acted to remove its leader following allegations rooted in misconduct, Astronomer’s board launched an internal investigation, placed both individuals on leave, and accepted Byron’s resignation—underscoring the non-negotiable standards tech firms apply to leadership ethics.
Both incidents exposed how quickly executives can be dethroned when failing to uphold workplace decorum and the trust of stakeholders. Yet, unlike Nestlé, Astronomer and its interim CEO Pete DeJoy turned the fallout into a strange form of brand elevation, explicitly acknowledging that the viral moment turned the once-obscure DataOps startup into “a household name,” even as they pledged to steer focus back to its core mission in data and AI.