Nestlé will cut 16,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years as part of a major cost-saving plan under new chief executive Philipp Navratil. The move, affecting about 6% of the company’s global workforce, includes 12,000 white-collar roles and 4,000 manufacturing and supply chain jobs.
“The world is changing and Nestlé needs to change faster,” Navratil said, promising a “respectful and transparent” process.
The company, which owns KitKat, Nescafé, and Purina, aims to save 3 billion Swiss francs (£2.8bn) by 2027 — up from its previous 2.5 billion target. Navratil, who replaced Laurent Freixe after his dismissal last month, said Nestlé must “be bolder in investing and driving innovation.”
Nestlé employs around 4,200 people in the UK and will seek to boost efficiency through automation.
The announcement came as the company reported a 1.9% fall in reported sales to 65.9 billion francs, mainly due to currency impacts, though organic growth rose 3.3%. Growth was strongest in coffee and confectionery, helped by inflation-driven price increases.
Analyst Chris Beckett said Navratil’s actions show it’s “not business as usual” at Nestlé, calling the company “a work in progress.”
