Ousted Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe's downfall began with an anonymous tip to an employee hotline about his alleged affair with a subordinate, it has been revealed.
Reports started to emerge in the spring about the 63-year-old's affair with a marketing executive on the company's internal hotline called Speak Up, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Employees are encouraged to use the hotline to report any 'non-compliance concerns,' and under the world's largest food and beverage company's code of business conduct, staffers must disclose any personal relationships.
The goal is to avoid any appearance of conflict at the company and to manage a conflict if one arises.
Shortly after the reports came through the hotline, Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke also received a letter detailing Freixe's alleged relationship in May.
