Former Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe, 63, was fired after a scandal involving secret affairs with subordinates, according to The New York Times and Swiss site Inside Paradeplatz. Freixe was caught by his “official mistress,” a senior Nestlé executive, with another subordinate at a Zurich hotel.
After catching him, the mistress filed a complaint through Nestlé’s internal anonymous hotline called “Speak Up”. Nestlé launched an internal investigation, which confirmed Freixe was in a romance with a direct report, a senior marketing executive who had already left the company earlier this year, as per The New York Times report.
The “main mistress” who exposed him was given a severance package and later moved to a senior role at another major company. The second woman, a marketing executive who was also romantically involved with Freixe, left Nestlé with a large payout, which Freixe himself reportedly arranged.
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Freixe, who spent nearly 40 years at Nestlé, did not receive any severance payout despite his long service. Restricted shares and deferred bonuses were also taken away immediately, leaving him with nothing after decades at the company.
Freixe had been CEO for less than a year, making his fall one of the fastest in Nestlé’s history. Nestlé leadership said the dismissal was necessary to protect company values and ethical standards, stressing that top leaders must follow the same rules as the 270,000-strong workforce.
After being ousted, Freixe reappeared on LinkedIn, writing, “I got my mobile back, I am reachable anytime.” He also posted a congratulatory note to his successor, Philipp Navratil, but misspelled his name as “Philippe” in the message, according to the report by Inside Paradeplatz.
Freixe praised Navratil in his post, saying: “I wish you and the 270,000 Nestlé colleagues all the very best, you deserve it!” Reports suggest Freixe may have had other affairs inside Nestlé beyond the two women mentioned, but these claims remain unconfirmed, as per the reports.
He was fired for not disclosing a relationship with a direct report, which broke Nestlé’s code of conduct, according to reports.
Q2. Did Laurent Freixe get severance after being fired?
No, Freixe did not get any severance or bonus despite working at Nestlé for nearly 40 years.
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After catching him, the mistress filed a complaint through Nestlé’s internal anonymous hotline called “Speak Up”. Nestlé launched an internal investigation, which confirmed Freixe was in a romance with a direct report, a senior marketing executive who had already left the company earlier this year, as per The New York Times report.
Nestlé CEO scandal shocks company
The scandal triggered anger inside Nestlé leadership. Chairman Paul Bulcke and vice chair Pablo Isla personally confronted Freixe, firing him on the spot, Bulcke and Isla allegedly called Freixe a “liar,” ordered him to hand over his phone, and told him he was out “effective immediately”, as stated by Inside Paradeplatz.The “main mistress” who exposed him was given a severance package and later moved to a senior role at another major company. The second woman, a marketing executive who was also romantically involved with Freixe, left Nestlé with a large payout, which Freixe himself reportedly arranged.
Laurent Freixe LinkedIn comeback
Nestlé officially said Freixe was fired for “failing to disclose a relationship with a direct report,” a violation of its code of conduct. However, Nestlé did not confirm the explosive allegations about the Zurich hotel incident or the internal drama. A Nestlé spokesperson told reporters: “Everything that needs to be said on the matter has been said, and I will not engage in wild conjecture and speculation”, as stated by Inside Paradeplatz.ALSO READ: Hyundai plant in Georgia rocked as 475 workers taken by ICE in huge raid
Freixe, who spent nearly 40 years at Nestlé, did not receive any severance payout despite his long service. Restricted shares and deferred bonuses were also taken away immediately, leaving him with nothing after decades at the company.
Freixe had been CEO for less than a year, making his fall one of the fastest in Nestlé’s history. Nestlé leadership said the dismissal was necessary to protect company values and ethical standards, stressing that top leaders must follow the same rules as the 270,000-strong workforce.
After being ousted, Freixe reappeared on LinkedIn, writing, “I got my mobile back, I am reachable anytime.” He also posted a congratulatory note to his successor, Philipp Navratil, but misspelled his name as “Philippe” in the message, according to the report by Inside Paradeplatz.
Freixe praised Navratil in his post, saying: “I wish you and the 270,000 Nestlé colleagues all the very best, you deserve it!” Reports suggest Freixe may have had other affairs inside Nestlé beyond the two women mentioned, but these claims remain unconfirmed, as per the reports.
FAQs
Q1. Why was Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe fired?He was fired for not disclosing a relationship with a direct report, which broke Nestlé’s code of conduct, according to reports.
Q2. Did Laurent Freixe get severance after being fired?
No, Freixe did not get any severance or bonus despite working at Nestlé for nearly 40 years.
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