Nestlé will cut 16,000 jobs worldwide — about 6% of its workforce — over the next two years as new CEO Philipp Navratil pushes to boost growth and cut costs. The layoffs include 12,000 office roles and 4,000 positions in manufacturing and supply chains.
“The world is changing and Nestlé needs to change faster,” Navratil said, pledging to make “hard but necessary” decisions with transparency.
The company, which makes KitKat, Nescafé, and Purina, aims to save 3 billion Swiss francs (£2.8bn) by 2027, up from its previous goal of 2.5bn. Nestlé reported a 1.9% sales drop to 65.9bn francs in the first nine months of the year, largely due to currency impacts, though organic sales rose 3.3%.
Navratil, who replaced Laurent Freixe after his dismissal last month, said Nestlé will focus on innovation, automation, and a stronger performance culture. Analysts say his swift restructuring marks a sharp break from the company’s recent stagnation, though its recovery remains a work in progress.
