Nestlé has fired its chief executive, Laurent Freixe, after an internal investigation revealed he had an undisclosed romantic relationship with a subordinate — a breach of the company’s code of conduct.

The Swiss food giant, whose brands include KitKat, Nespresso and Häagen-Dazs, said the decision followed a review led by chair Paul Bulcke and lead independent director Pablo Isla, with the support of external lawyers.

“This was a necessary decision,” Bulcke said. “Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his many years of service.”

Freixe’s dismissal ends his 40-year career at the company, just a year after he was promoted to the top job in September 2024, replacing Mark Schneider.

Taking over immediately is Philipp Navratil, a long-serving Nestlé executive who began his career with the company in 2001 as an internal auditor. He went on to manage operations in Central America and Mexico, before leading Nestlé’s coffee division and later Nespresso. He joined the company’s executive board earlier this year.

Bulcke praised Navratil’s leadership style, describing him as a “dynamic presence” who inspires teams and drives results. The board, he added, is confident he will accelerate Nestlé’s growth and efficiency plans without altering the company’s current strategy.

Freixe’s sudden exit mirrors a similar scandal at BP in 2023, when then-CEO Bernard Looney was forced to resign after failing to disclose relationships with colleagues. BP later introduced strict rules requiring employees to declare workplace relationships or risk dismissal.