
"Navratil isn't some parachuted consultant or a rebuffed senior executive from one of the company's rivals. He's a Nestlé lifer with 25 years across the Anglo-Swiss giant's operations. He speaks multiple languages, holds an MBA, and has the steely look of someone who isn't here to fuck about. More importantly, he's done both the country GM path, successfully running Honduras, and then the HQ role, eventually leading Nespresso. He knows how the machine works."
"His style isn't the performative empathy beloved of LinkedIn leadership gurus. None of that soft, mushy bollocks that portrays managers as myopic efficiency bullies in contrast to selfless, empathetic leaders who combine Joan of Arc with Mahatma Gandhi. That nonsense always rings false with me. The leaders I've respected were objective, smart, driven, and merciless when they needed to be. Navratil fits that bill perfectly."
"Remember when Unilever's new CEO opened his tenure announcing a 20-fold increase in influencer marketing? Oddly tactical. Off the pace. A weird place to start. And a signal of a general inability to get it. Navratil did the opposite. No-nonsense thinking with a menacing tone that suggests genuine depth and velocity. "We will be ruthless in assessing our talent," he told staff, stressing metrics, accountability, and rewards for delivery. The phrasing startled some. The markets loved it. Within days, Nestlé's share price jumped 9%."
Philipp Navratil became Nestlé CEO after 25 years at the company, with experience running Honduras and leading Nespresso. He speaks multiple languages, holds an MBA, and projects a determined, no-nonsense demeanor. He rejects performative empathy and emphasizes objective metrics, talent reviews, accountability, and rewards for delivery. He signaled ruthless talent assessment and operational discipline, provoking surprise among staff but winning market approval. His contrast to tactical, influencer-focused leadership approaches highlights a focus on marketing-first, merciless execution. He knows how the machine works.
Read at The Drum
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