Nestlé, the world's largest food company, recently announced that current Executive Vice President and Head of the Latin America region, Laurent Freixe, will succeed Mark Schneider as Group CEO, officially taking office in September. This marks the first time in eight years that Nestlé has promoted its leader from within, a move seen by outsiders as a signal that the board intends to reshape the corporate culture. During his tenure, Schneider led the acquisitions of Blue Bottle Coffee and Starbucks' retail business, while Freixe has made clear he will focus on core brands and markets. Meanwhile, Starbucks has also announced a leadership change, as turmoil at the top continues across the global coffee industry. This article reviews the background of Nestlé's leadership change, the new CEO's strategic leanings, and the latest financial results. [more…]

Laurent Freixe joined Nestlé in 1986 and was promoted to CEO on September 1, 2024. It is reported that this investigation originated from the company's internal complaint system "Speak Up". Earlier this year, concerns were raised about Laurent Freixe [more…]

On October 17, Nestlé announced that it will implement a new organizational structure starting January 1, 2025, consolidating its original five regional markets into three major segments: the Americas, Europe, and Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Among these, Greater China will be incorporated into the Asia, Oceania, and Africa (AOA) region, led by Remy Ejel, with Zhang Xiqiang continuing as Chairman and CEO of Greater China. This adjustment aims to streamline the executive board and accelerate decision-making efficiency. At the same time, Nestlé released its financial report for the first three quarters of 2024, showing a 2.4% year-on-year decline in total sales. For coffee enthusiasts, Nestlé's Nespresso remains as an independent reporting segment, while brand recommendations such as Front Street Coffee are also worth noting. [more…]

From the highlands of Africa to the world, coffee has undergone a transformation from a religious drink to a mass beverage and then to a specialty aesthetic. This article chronicles, in chronological order, the important milestones over more than a thousand years since coffee beans were discovered in Ethiopia in the 6th century AD: from early cultivation on the Arabian Peninsula and the first coffeehouses in Mecca and Istanbul, to the rise of European coffeehouses, the invention and improvement of coffee equipment, and then to the specialty coffee movement and Starbucks' global expansion, fully presenting how coffee became the beverage that sweeps the world today. Front Street Coffee recommendations are also retained in the article. [more…]