Nestlé Dismisses CEO Due to Undisclosed Relationship With Subordinate

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Laurent Freixe is stepping down.

Last year’s appointment of the long-standing Nestlé employee as CEO was revoked after it became known that he had a romantic involvement with a fellow employee.

In a statement released on September 1st, Nestlé acknowledged that Laurent Freixe left his position due to an unspecified romantic involvement with a superior subordinate, a situation which violated the company’s Code of Professional Conduct.

In his remarks, Chairman Paul Bulcke underscored the point that this action was essential.

He noted that the firm’s values and governance serve as solid pillars supporting Nestlé. He went on to express his gratitude to Laurent for his long-standing commitment to the company.

After Freixe’s departure, backed by unbiased external legal advisors, the company revealed that Philipp Navratil will assume leadership.

Philip’s outstanding history of producing outcomes in tough settings is well-acknowledged, remarked Bulcke. The Board trusts that he will propel our growth strategies and hasten our endeavors to improve efficiency.

Regardless of the controversy surrounding Nestlé, the chairman underlined that there would be no adjustments to their strategic direction and they would continue to maintain their momentum in terms of performance.

TopMob News has reached out to reps for Freixe’s attorney and has not yet heard back.

In September 2024, Freixe, who had been Nestle’s CEO for Zone Latin America since 2022, took over as CEO following the departure of Mark Schneider.)

It wasn’t just Freixe who made news due to his personal connections; even Bernard Looney, a previous BP CEO, stepped down in 2023 following fewer than four years on the job. His resignation was prompted by not revealing previous romantic ties with colleagues.

In a recent press statement issued on September 2023, the Company announced that Mr. Looney admitted he had not been completely truthful in his earlier disclosures. Specifically, he failed to reveal all relevant connections, acknowledging that he should have made a more comprehensive disclosure.

Lately, Andy Byron, the CEO of Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, their Chief People Officer, were spotted on a giant screen during Coldplay’s July concert. This led Chris Martin, the band’s lead singer, to make a lighthearted comment, questioning if they were secretly in a relationship or simply reserved. However, amidst this speculation, both Byron and Cabot eventually departed from the company.

Andy Byron submitted his resignation, which the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board is now initiating a process to find our next CEO. (Astronomer stated this to TopMob News.)

For a closer look at Byron and Cabot’s scandal, keep reading.

Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, focused on a couple who appeared to embrace each other when they noticed themselves on the giant screen at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on July 15.

Martin shared that they’d be utilizing their cameras as part of their approach, explaining this to the crowd beforehand. He further mentioned that if everyone checks the screens, they’d be able to spot someone and greet them. First up was a young man who received an unexpected birthday greeting from Martin, leaving him delightfully surprised.

The singer pointed out the snug pair, but suddenly, the man moved away, while the woman, with her hands shielding her face, abruptly turned away from the camera.

Martin jokingly suggested, “They either have a secret relationship or are extremely reserved. I’m finding it hard to decide on the best course of action.

Upon the woman vacating her seat and slipping away among the people behind her, the singer exclaimed, “Gosh, I certainly hope we haven’t done anything wrong.

At the concert, Grace Springer recorded the significant moment on video for future reference. Towards the end of the evening, diligent web investigators managed to recognize the suspicious duo as Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, Chief People Officer of Astronomer. Swiftly, social media users such as TikTokers, X users, and others deduced that both Byron and Cabot are already married to other individuals.

Shortly after that, Martin inquired of the new arrivals displayed on the screen, “Alright, could you both clarify if you’re together romantically? Are you two an actual item?

As a devoted colleague looking back, Byron and Cabot were once my teammates who have since moved on from our shared workplace. The buzz on the web recently has been about their unexpected reunion at a Coldplay concert, leaving many speculating about their relationship. So far, neither has released any official statement regarding this incident, and it appears that the alleged apology attributed to Byron, which spread online the following day, was actually a hoax, as confirmed by Astronomer.

As a devoted devotee, I’d like to share that in my own life, I held positions of significant responsibility. Specifically, Byron served as the CEO at Astronomer, a company not related to space as one might initially think. On the other hand, Cabot stood at the helm of our human resources department.

Astronomer confirmed July 24 to NBC News that Cabot had resigned.

Since then, both individuals appear to have removed their LinkedIn profiles, and various media sources claim that Byron’s wife has deactivated her Instagram and Facebook accounts. It is said that they have two sons together.

Andrew Cabot, who is the sixth-generation descendant of a long-line of rum distillers dating back to the American Revolution and now serves as CEO of Privateer Rum, is married to Cabot. As reported by multiple sources, Andrew previously worked in technology before establishing the spirits company in 2011, according to the Boston Globe. They are also parents to two children together.

The company Astronomer specializes in technology and offers a platform called Astro, which, according to their website, allows your team to construct, manage, and monitor data streams efficiently, providing a seamless experience from a single location.

The company got started in Cincinnati, Ohio back in 2018, and it also operates branches in San Francisco and San Jose, California.

Byron joined the company as CEO in 2023 and Cabot came onboard in 2024.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m thrilled to share that by May 2025, we proudly secured $93 million in our Series D funding round, which was skillfully led by Bain Capital Ventures. At the time, we were delighted to announce this news, as reported by the New York Post. This substantial investment is merely one milestone on Astronomer’s path toward creating a resilient, enduring software company that will continue to shape the future of our industry.

The funding raised the firm’s valuation to $740 million, according to the Economic Times.

An astronomer declared on July 18th that the organization’s governing body has officially begun an inquiry regarding this issue, and emphasized that the statements attributed to Byron are not authentic.

The company emphasized that astronomers within their organization uphold the principles and traditions that have been instrumental since its inception. It’s expected of our leaders to serve as examples, demonstrating high ethical standards and responsibility in their behavior and actions.

Additionally, it was pointed out that no one else spotted in the tragic Jumbotron footage (except for the mentioned duo) were staff members of Astronomer Company. However, the Associated Press reported separately that Cabot was indeed the woman alongside Byron in the video, a fact confirmed by the company itself.

As of July 18, Byron had taken a leave from his role at Astronomer, as confirmed by the co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy, who temporarily took over as interim CEO. The following day, the company disclosed that Byron was stepping down from his position.

In a recent communication with TopMob News, I announced my resignation as CEO, and the board graciously accepted it. Now, the board is initiating a search for our future leader. Meanwhile, DeJoy will continue in his expanded position.

Over the past few days, our company, Astronomer, has experienced a degree of media coverage that very few companies in our data and AI sector, particularly startups, typically encounter. This attention has felt strange and extraordinary for us, but despite not wanting it to happen this way, we’ve now become a name recognized in many households. (DeJoy wrote this on LinkedIn on July 21)

Martin couldn’t even begin to try to fix what happened, but he’s had some fun with it since.

At the first Coldplay concert since the controversy on July 19, the English vocalist once more reminded the audience at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, that they could potentially be seen on the large video screen.

“So please,” Martin said, “if you haven’t done your makeup, do your makeup now.”

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2025-09-02 18:18