Nestlé Appoints Laurent Freixe as CEO

Current chief executive Mark Schneider is leaving the company after eight years.

I Stock 1402827578
iStock.com/Jean-Luc Ichard

The board of directors of Nestlé has appointed Laurent Freixe, currently executive vice president and CEO, Zone Latin America (LATAM), as chief executive officer of 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, chief executive officer, has decided to relinquish his roles as CEO and member of the board. Over his eight years with the company, he has actively shaped the company’s portfolio, in line with Nestlé’s strategy and with a focus on high-growth categories like coffee, pet care and nutritional health products.

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.

Laurent 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, 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.

More in Facility