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Global consumer goods leader the Swiss conglomerate has declared it will eliminate 16,000 jobs over the next two years, as its new CEO Philipp Navratil pushes a plan to prioritize products offering the “highest potential returns”.

This multinational corporation needs to “change faster” to keep pace with a changing world and embrace a “achievement-focused approach” that does not accept ceding ground to competitors, said Mr Navratil.

He took over from former CEO Laurent Freixe, who was terminated in last fall.

The layoff announcement were revealed on Thursday as the corporation reported better sales figures for the initial three quarters of 2025, with increased revenue across its primary segments, such as coffee and sweets.

The world's largest packaged food and drink firm, Nestlé operates a multitude of labels, among them Nescafé, KitKat and Maggi.

The company aims to eliminate 12,000 professional jobs in addition to four thousand other roles throughout the organization during the next biennium, it said in a statement.

These job cuts will result in savings of the food giant about one billion Swiss francs annually as part of an continuous efficiency drive, it confirmed.

Nestlé's share price rose seven and a half percent following its performance report and layoff announcement were made public.

Mr Navratil stated: “We are fostering a corporate environment that embraces a results-driven attitude, that will not abide competitive setbacks, and where success is recognized... The world is changing, and Nestlé needs to change faster.”

The restructuring would include “difficult yet essential choices to reduce headcount,” he added.

Equity analyst Diana Radu said the report suggested that Nestlé's leader seeks to “increase openness to aspects that were previously more opaque in the company's efficiency strategy.”

The workforce reductions, she said, are likely an initiative to “reset expectations and rebuild investor confidence through tangible steps.”

His forerunner was sacked by the company in the start of last fall after an investigation into whistleblower allegations that he did not disclose a romantic relationship with a direct subordinate.

Its departing chairman the ex-chairman accelerated his exit timeline and stepped down in the same month.

Sources indicated at the moment that shareholders blamed Mr Bulcke for the company's ongoing problems.

Last year, an investigation revealed infant nutrition items from the company marketed in low- and middle-income countries had unhealthily high levels of sugar.

The research, by a Swiss NGO and the International Baby Food Action Network, established that in numerous instances, the identical items sold in developed nations had no extra sugars.

• The corporation manages numerous brands internationally.
• Workforce reductions will affect sixteen thousand workers throughout the next two years.
• Cost reductions are projected to amount to one billion Swiss francs each year.
• Equity increased significantly following the news.