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Sustainability governance

Wind turbine

 

We want to be the trusted leader in our sector. Building our business on clear principles and sound governance helps maintain trust in the Nestlé brand and reduce risk throughout our value chain.

 

Governance at Nestlé

5 Workstreams

 

Our governance structure

Our governance structure reflects our purpose, enables our strategy and supports our commitments.

Nestlé’s sustainability strategy is key to our decision-making. It is set by the Board of Directors and delivered by our Executive Board and is regularly reviewed by the Board’s Sustainability Committee to ensure we meet our aim of long-term, sustainable value creation.

Our activities align with Art. 964a-l of the Swiss Code of Obligations.

 

Our governance and implementation structure

Key:
  • Board level
  • Nestlé executive
  • External advisory
  • Approves
  • Reports
  • Advises
Board of Directors

The Board is responsible for the Company’s strategy and organization and provides oversight over its financial and non-financial performance and reporting. The Board approves the Company's ESG & Sustainability Strategy and approves its CSV and Sustainability Report for submission to the Annual General Meeting.

Board Committees

Sustainability Committee (SC)

The SC has oversight over the structure and content of the Company’s ESG & Sustainability reporting and validates that the overall approach is in line with the Company’s strategy.

Audit Committee (AC)

The AC has oversight over the accuracy of the Company’s financial and ESG & Sustainability reporting.

Executive Board

The Company’s Executive Board is responsible for the execution of the Company’s ESG & Sustainability Strategy, which includes ensuring compliance with mandatory reporting obligations.

Creating Shared Value (CSV) Council

The CSV Council is an external advisory body that advises senior management on a range of sustainability issues.

ESG & Sustainability Council

The ESG & Sustainability Council provides strategic leadership and execution support, and drives the implementation of Nestlé’s ESG & Sustainability Strategy, including our 2050 Net Zero Roadmap, ensuring focus and alignment.

Scope:

  • 2050 net zero
  • Sustainable Packaging
  • Water
  • Responsible Sourcing
  • Upstream Human Rights
  • Communications
  • Advocacy
  • Systems and Reporting

Nestlé Corporate Business Principles

Our Corporate Business Principles form the basis of our culture, our values and our Creating Shared Value strategy. The principles are available in various languages and we have a formal commitment to provide all employees with training on them. 

The principles are reviewed by our Executive Board and aligned with international best practice and standards such as the UN Global Compact Principles.

The ongoing implementation of relevant business codes, policies, processes and tools ensures compliance throughout the business. We monitor their application and effectiveness through various channels, including our CARE audits, and update where necessary.

 

Sustainability Committee

Our Sustainability Committee reflects the importance of sustainability in Nestlé’s corporate governance. Its purpose is to review the company’s sustainability agenda against its ability to create shared value.

Following a successful career that included ten years in senior roles at McKinsey & Company, Hanne co-founded and served as Chairperson of Swiss-based management consultancy a-connect in 2002. She was elected to the Nestlé Board of Directors in 2020.

A former President and CEO of Dutch retail multinational Ahold Delhaize, Dick was elected to the Nestlé Board of Directors in 2019. He also serves on the Compensation Committee.

With a Master’s degree in Agriculture/Grassland Science and a PHD in Agriculture/Animal Physiology, Lindiwe is a professor and senior research fellow at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and Director and Chairwoman of the African Research Universities Alliance Center of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems. She was elected to the Nestlé Board of Directors in 2021.

As Chief Marketing Officer and a member of the Executive Committee at Schneider Electric, Chris brings deep experience in Asia through her global and regional roles. She was elected to the Nestlé Board of Directors in 2022.

 

ESG and Sustainability Council

Our ESG and Sustainability Council oversees our sustainability strategy, advises the Nestlé Executive Board on how to make informed and science-based decisions, and helps to accelerate and standardize decision-making on a global level. It has the following workstreams: 2050 Net Zero, Sustainable Packaging, Water, Sustainable Sourcing and Communications and Advocacy.  

Members of the ESG and Sustainability Council include Executive Board Members:

Having joined Nestlé in 1985 as a Brand Manager, Bernard has spent most of his career with the company holding various roles across Europe. He is Head of our Strategic Business Units and Marketing and Sales.

Currently serving as our Chief Executive Officer, Zone Latin America, Laurent joined Nestlé France in 1986 in the field of sales and marketing and has spent his whole career with the company.

Marco joined Nestlé in 1987 in the field of marketing. Having spent over 35 years with the company, he is now our Chief Executive Officer, Zone Europe.

Stephanie originally joined Nestlé in 1995 in Production Management for Friskies Pet Care with Nestlé USA, but after several roles in the company, in November 2023, Stephanie was appointed as Executive Vice President of Nestlé S.A. in charge of Operations.

With a PhD in Process Engineering and an MBA in marketing, Stefan is an Associated Professor of Food Science and Technology at the University of Copenhagen. He joined Nestlé as a project manager over 20 years ago and is now our Chief Technology Officer.

With a legal background and a career that has included positions at the Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Dutch Shell and Shell Canada, Leanne joined Nestlé in 2019 as an Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Corporate Governance and Compliance.

Anna joined Nestlé S.A. in March 2024 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. She brings over 20 years of experience with her in Strategy, Finance and Control in different industries and geographies. Anna is committed to supporting inclusive development of future finance leaders inside and outside of Nestlé.

With a communications background over three decades, including senior positions at AOL and working for an anti-poverty advocacy organization co-founded by Bono, Lisa has led corporate communications at Nestlé since July 2022, as Deputy Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer.

Steven started his career with Nestlé an astonishing 25 years ago, starting as a controller for a beverage factory in Virginia. As CEO of Nestlé USA he has spearheaded a number of critical transformations, acquisitions and divestments and revitalized the business with a culture built around empowering people.

With a thirty-year career in the pharmaceutical and FMCG industry under his belt, David has extensive experience in finance, operations, sales and management. Having joined Nestlé in 2012, in January 2022 he joined the executive board as Executive Vice President and CEO of Zone Greater China.

 

Creating Shared Value Council

The Creating Shared Value Council is an external advisory council formed in 2009. The Council helps ensure the sound development of long-term sustainability and positive social and economic impacts of Nestlé’s CSV business strategy.

Chaired by Janet Voûte, the Council comprises seven members, whose expertise spans corporate social responsibility, strategy, sustainability, nutrition, water and rural development.

People picking up litter from beach

Martin is a public health professional and nutritionist focusing on challenges in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Throughout his career Martin has focused on improving the effectiveness of public health and nutrition programs through applied research. In his academic role Martin has extensively researched the interplay of climate change, food systems, and health, including the US. His board memberships include the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), Scaling up Nutrition (SUN), EAT Movement, and the World Food System Center at ETH Zurich.

Paul Hawken is a pioneering architect of corporate reform in order to change the relationship between business and the environment. He has created ecological food and technology companies, is the founder of Project Drawdown and Project Regeneration, and co-founder of the Drawdown Fund, a growth equity fund addressing drivers of climate change. He is the author or nine books including five NYT bestsellers including The Ecology of Commerce, Natural Capitalism, Blessed Unrest, Drawdown and Regeneration, Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation.

Georg is Chairman of Arabesque, a fund manager that uses self-learning quantitative models and big data to assess the performance and sustainability of globally listed companies.

He is the Founder of the UN Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability movement, with over 9 000 corporate and 4 000 non-corporate participants in more than 160 countries. He is also Chairman of the VW Sustainability Council.

Mark is a former faculty member of Harvard Business School, where he taught courses on creating shared value and purpose and profit. He is currently a founder of several public benefit corporations, including Congruence Capital, an impact investing hedge fund. He is best known as the co-author of seminal articles on creating shared value, collective impact and catalytic philanthropy. Mark co-founded FSG, a global consulting firm that helps develop social impact strategies for many of the world's largest foundations, corporations and nonprofit organizations. He also serves on the Supervisory Board of the World Benchmarking Alliance.

Bryan is the former owner, CEO and Chair of Blue Bottle Coffee. After acquiring Blue Bottle in 2012, he grew the company from seven to more than 100 locations across the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and China.

Bryan's career has been focused on smaller companies that are challenging larger ones primarily around the areas of product quality, sustainability and innovation. Previously, he co-founded Nude Skincare and Fresh & Wild natural food stores in London (now acquired and rebranded as Whole Foods).

Jennifer is dedicated to finding bold science-based conservation solutions for people and nature. In her role as CEO of The Nature Conservancy, her mission is to develop breakthrough ideas, amplify local knowledge, influence global decision-making, and forge new paths, including innovative finance mechanisms, to address the dual crises of the climate emergency and biodiversity loss.

Gonzalo co-leads the Race To Zero, Race To Resilience and GFANZ campaigns. Previously, he co-founded and led TriCiclos, one of the most recognised Latin American companies in circular economy and recycling. Gonzalo also co-founded Sistema B (Bcorps in Latin America), Manuia and Polkura Winery. He is also a member of the Club of Rome. For COP28 he chairs the Non-State Actors Action Agenda for Regenerative Landscapes. He is also the general coordinator for the UN Plastics Treaty Friends of the Action.

Stuart is the Leader of the WWF Freshwater Practice at World Wide Fund for Nature. He has spent his career devising and testing innovative approaches to freshwater conservation by engaging business and finance, and focusing on emerging themes such as the water-food-energy nexus, economic incentives, bankable financing and water-related risk. 

He has written numerous scientific papers and publications on issues ranging from corporate water governance to fish protein. He serves on a number of advisory councils and non-profit boards as well as supporting conservation projects in over 40 countries. 

With a Master’s degree in Agriculture/Grassland Science and a PHD in Agriculture/Animal Physiology, Lindiwe is a professor and senior research fellow at the University of Pretoria, South Africa and Director and Chairwoman of the African Research Universities Alliance Center of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems. She was elected to the Nestlé Board of Directors in 2021.

Janet is the Chairperson of the Creating Shared Value Council and a non-executive director at Bupa, the leading international health insurance and healthcare company.

She is currently a member of the Advisory Council at SustainAbility and is an ambassador for the International Integrated Reporting Initiative.

Previously, Janet served as Global Head of Public Affairs at Nestlé. She spent 10 years in public health, serving as Partnership Advisor at the World Health Organization in the area of noncommunicable diseases and mental health, and as CEO of the World Heart Federation.

She began her career in corporate strategy consulting, where she was Vice President and Managing Partner at Bain & Company, Switzerland, focused on consumer goods and health-related industries.

Creating Shared Value and Sustainability Report cover