Swiss food giant Nestlé has said it dismissed its chief executive Laurent Freixe due to an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.

The maker of Nescafé drinks and Purina pet food said in a statement the dismissal was effective immediately.

An investigation found the undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate violated Nestlé’s code of conduct.

Freixe, who had been chief executive for a year, will be replaced by Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive.

“This was a necessary decision,” said Chairman Paul Bulcke.

“Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company.”

Navratil started his career with Nestlé in 2001 as an internal auditor and served in a variety of roles in Central America.

In 2020, he joined Nestlé’s Coffee Strategic Business Unit, and in 2024, he became CEO of Nestlé’s Nespresso division.