VEVEY, SWITZERLAND — The Nestle board of directors announced the appointment of Philipp Navratil as CEO.
VEVEY, SWITZERLAND — The Nestle board of directors announced the appointment of Philipp Navratil as CEO.
“Philipp is recognized for his impressive track record of achieving results in challenging environments,” said Paul Bulcke, Nestle board chair. “Renowned for his dynamic presence, he inspires teams and leads with a collaborative, inclusive management style. The board is confident that he will drive our growth plans forward and accelerate our efficiency efforts. We are not changing course on strategy, and we will not lose pace on performance.”
He succeeds Laurent Freixe, who was recently dismissed from the company due to a breach of its Code of Business Conduct.
Navratil, who most recently served as CEO of the Swiss company’s Nespresso business, first joined Nestle in 2001 as an internal auditor. Over the years, he has moved up the ranks in the Central America business, supporting brands including Nescafe and Starbucks. He joined the executive board on January 1.
“I am honored by the trust the board has placed in me, and it is a privilege to take on the responsibility of leading Nestle into the future,” Navratil said. “I fully embrace the company’s strategic direction, as well as the action plan in place to drive Nestle’s performance. I look forward to working closely with the entire leadership of the company, in alignment with the board, chairman Paul Bulcke and chairman-designate Pablo Isla, to accelerate execution and to drive the value creation plan with intensity.”
Nestle’s brand portfolio casts a broad net over the food and beverage industry, including brands such as DiGiorno and Tombstone through its US subsidiary.
