Nestlé has appointed Laurent Freixe, currently executive vice president and CEO Zone Latin America, as CEO Nestlé S.A., effective Sept. 1.

The Board has also nominated Freixe as a candidate for the board of directors at the 2025 Annual General Meeting.

Mark Schneider, current CEO, has decided to relinquish his roles as CEO and member of the board of directors.

Freixe joined Nestlé in France in 1986. Since then, he has 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, from 2008 until 2014. He then took over as CEO of Zone Americas, where he accelerated growth. Following the creation of Nestlé’s new Zone structure in 2022, Laurent Freixe was named CEO Zone Latin America, where he has been successfully leading through challenging conditions.

Freixe has been a member of the Executive Board for 16 years and, as such, has played an important role in strengthening the strategic direction of the company and its portfolio. With his profound understanding of Nestlé’s culture and values, he has led several global corporate initiatives to improve productivity, increase operational efficiency, simplify processes and drive innovation. Additionally, Laurent Freixe is committed to developing future leaders and talents, as evidenced by his active role in the Nestlé Leadership and Training Programs as well as 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 as well as a deep understanding of markets and consumers. 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 further strengthen its position as a dependable, reliable company through consistent and sustainable value creation," said Paul Bulcke, chairman of the board of directors.

Freixe added: "I am privileged to have been given the opportunity to continue building and strengthening Nestlé, and I am excited to take on this responsibility. 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 above all, exceptional people and teams. We can strategically position Nestlé to lead and win everywhere we operate."

And concluded Schneider: "Leading Nestlé for the past eight years has been an honor for me. I am grateful for what we have achieved, having transformed Nestlé into a future-proofed, innovative and sustainable business. I would like to thank the entire Nestlé community for what we have accomplished together and wish Laurent all the best in his new role."