Nestlé will cut 16,000 jobs — about 6% of its global workforce — over the next two years as part of a major cost-cutting drive under new chief executive Philipp Navratil. The layoffs will include 12,000 white-collar and 4,000 manufacturing roles as the company seeks to save 3 billion Swiss francs (£2.8 billion) by 2027.
“The world is changing and Nestlé needs to change faster,” Navratil said, promising “respect and transparency” during the process. He replaced Laurent Freixe last month after the former CEO was dismissed for failing to disclose a relationship with a colleague.
Nestlé, which owns brands such as KitKat, Nescafé, and Purina, reported a 1.9% fall in sales to 65.9 billion francs for the first nine months of the year, largely due to currency pressures, though organic growth rose 3.3%.
Navratil said the restructuring would make the company “bolder and more performance-driven,” with greater automation and investment in innovation. Analysts said the move signalled a clear break from business as usual as Nestlé tries to restore its growth momentum.
