SWITZERLAND | The Board of Directors of Nestlé has appointed Laurent Freixe, currently Executive Vice President and CEO of Zone Latin America (LATAM), as Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé S.A..
Effective this September, the Board has also nominated Laurent Freixe as a candidate for the Board of Directors at the 2025 Annual General Meeting.
Mark Schneider, CEO, decided to relinquish his roles as CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Over his 8 years with the company, he actively shaped its portfolio in line with Nestlé’s strategy.
Laurent Freixe joined Nestlé in France in 1986 and continuously progressed within the company, assuming various positions of increasing responsibility across different businesses, markets and zones. He successfully managed Zone Europe during the financial and economic crisis 2008 until 2014 and became Zone Americas's CEO.
Following the creation of Nestlé’s new Zone structure in 2022, Laurent Freixe was named CEO of Zone Latin America, where he successfully led through challenging conditions.
“There will always be challenges, but we have unparalleled strengths, such as iconic brands and products, an unmatched global presence, leading innovation and execution capabilities, and exceptional people and teams,” said Freixe.
He has been a member of the Executive Board for 16 years and played an important role in strengthening the company's strategic direction and portfolio. He has also led several global corporate initiatives to improve productivity, increase operational efficiency, simplify processes, and drive innovation.
Freixe has also been committed to developing future leaders and talents, as evidenced by his active role in the Nestlé Leadership and Training Programs and the Nestlé Needs YOUth initiative, which promotes youth employment.
"The Board of Directors is delighted to announce the appointment of Laurent as the new CEO. I have known Laurent for a long time and highly regard him as a talented leader with strategic acumen, extensive in-market experience and expertise, and a deep understanding of markets and consumers,” said Paul Bulcke, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“He has demonstrated his ability to deliver results in challenging market conditions. Laurent's curiosity fuels his passion for innovation and positive change. Laurent is the perfect fit for Nestlé at this time. Under his leadership, Nestlé will strengthen its position as a dependable, reliable company through consistent and sustainable value creation."
Bulcke added that Schneider was instrumental in significant progress on the sustainability agenda. Schneider said that leading Nestlé for the past eight years was an honour and thanked the entire Nestlé community.
