Investing.com — Former Nestle SA chief executive Laurent Freixe is seeking to recover a bonus and unvested shares that were taken from him after his September dismissal over an undisclosed relationship with a subordinate, Bloomberg reported Thursday. <\/p>\n
Freixe, 64, is reportedly in pre-litigation settlement talks with the Swiss food company where he worked for 39 years. He argues his dismissal unfairly harmed his reputation and earning potential. Freixe wants his pro-rata bonus for the months he worked in 2025 paid and the return of three years of unvested shares that were forfeited upon his termination. <\/p>\n
“Mr. Laurent Freixe disputes both the grounds and the manner of his dismissal,” his lawyer Vanessa Chambour with Lausanne-based firm PSF 12 told Bloomberg. “After nearly forty years of unfailing service, he was removed without being heard and stripped of compensation he had legitimately earned, a punitive process that has unfairly damaged his reputation and his ability to pursue his career.” <\/p>\n
A prolonged legal dispute between the two parties could become the most prominent management conflict in Switzerland since Tidjane Thiam was forced out of Credit Suisse Group AG. <\/p>\n
Nestle is represented by law firm Homburger AG. <\/p>\n
Freixe was removed from his position after only one year as CEO for failing to disclose an office relationship during two investigations. He was replaced by Philipp Navratil. The maker of KitKat and Maggi said at the time that Freixe would receive no severance package due to violations of the company’s code of conduct. <\/p>\n
After his dismissal, Freixe kept the CEO title on his LinkedIn profile for more than six months, even after Nestle asked him to change his status. He also did not voluntarily leave Nestle’s board of directors after being relieved of his duties. He remained a member for several more months, forcing Nestle to wait until its annual meeting in April to formally remove him from the board. <\/p>\n
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