Philipp Navratil, Nestlé’s new CEO, wants to cut 16,000 jobs at the multinational over the next two years, or about 6% of its global workforce. The consequences for the Benelux are still unclear.
Cost-cutting operation
“The world is changing and Nestlé needs to change faster,” said Navratil. “This includes the difficult but necessary decision to reduce the workforce over the next two years.” The multinational wants to save 3 billion Swiss francs (3.2 billion euros) by the end of 2027. The restructuring plan will affect 12,000 white-collar jobs and 4,000 jobs at production sites.
The consequences for the Benelux are not yet clear. In Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, approximately 700 people work for Nestlé: the company has its headquarters in Brussels and a production facility for Valvert mineral water in Etalle, in the province of Luxembourg. In the Netherlands, the company has around 400 employees, including at a baby food factory in Nunspeet.
Shrinking margins
Nestlé announced the plans when it published its results for the first nine months of 2025. During that period, it posted sales of 65.9 billion Swiss francs (71 billion euros), a decline of 1.9%, although there was organic growth of 3.3%, of which 2.8% was due to price increases.
Like many other companies, Nestlé is struggling with rising costs and shrinking margins. The multinational is active in coffee and chocolate, among other things, two product categories where prices have exploded in recent years. A scandal involving bottled water fraud in France has also not done the company any good.
The fact that there is now new leadership at the company may create an opportunity to move forward: CEO Laurent Freixe was recently dismissed after a “romantic relationship with a direct subordinate,” and Chairman Paul Bulcke also had to step down early.
