Nestlé will eliminate 16,000 jobs globally over the next two years — about 6% of its workforce — as new CEO Philipp Navratil moves to streamline operations and boost sales. The cuts will include 12,000 office roles and 4,000 manufacturing and supply chain positions.
“The world is changing and Nestlé needs to change faster,” Navratil said, pledging to make the reductions “with respect and transparency.”
The shake-up follows the firing of former CEO Laurent Freixe and aims to save 3 billion Swiss francs (£2.8bn) by 2027. Nestlé, which owns KitKat, Nescafé, and Purina, plans to increase automation and focus on high-return business areas.
Sales fell 1.9% year-on-year to 65.9 billion francs in the first nine months of 2025, largely due to currency pressures, though organic growth reached 3.3%. Growth was strongest in coffee and confectionery, helped by inflation-driven price rises.
Analyst Chris Beckett said Navratil’s actions show it “won’t be business as usual,” adding that Nestlé’s turnaround remains “a work in progress.”
