Nestlé has sacked its boss after he failed to disclose a "romantic relationship" with a subordinate.
Laurent Freixe, 63, had worked for the Swiss food giant for four decades before being promoted to global chief executive last September, replacing Mark Schneider.
But after less than 12 months in the role, Freixe has been dismissed with "immediate effect" following an alleged breach of the company’s code of conduct.
According to the BBC, the inquiry was triggered by a report made through the company's whistleblowing channel.
Freixe reportedly had a relationship with an employee who is not on the executive board, which represents a potential conflict of interest.
“This was a necessary decision,” chairman Paul Bulcke announced in a statement. “Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company.”
Bulcke also thanked Freixe for his “years of service” at Nestlé, which produces products including KitKat chocolates, Purina pet food and San Pellegrino soda drinks.
However, Nestlé confirmed that Mr Freixe will not receive an exit package despite joining in the 1980s.
As well as Mr Bulcke, independent director Pablo Isla oversaw the review into Mr Freixe "with the support of independent outside counsel".
This was a necessary decision
Philipp Navratil, the current head of Nespresso Coffee, has been appointed as Mr Freixe's successor.
Mr Bulcke said Nestlé was "not changing course on strategy and we will not lose pace on performance".
Other firms have parted ways with staff in recent years following probes into their personal relationships with workers.
In 2023, Bernard Looney quit as the head of British Petroleum after failing to reveal relationships with colleagues.
