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Mark Schneider, the recently ousted CEO of Nestle, had successfully steered the company through the COVID-19 pandemic, improved margins during a challenging supply chain crisis, and executed a major reorganization of the company. However, despite these achievements, Schneider lost the board's confidence, leading to his departure.
Key Issues Leading to Schneider's Ouster:
Sluggish Sales Growth: The primary concern that led to Schneider's removal was weak sales growth. Despite his successes, the board became increasingly worried about the company's ability to sustain growth, especially as Nestle's performance lagged behind some of its competitors. Schneider's tenure saw patchy sales growth, and the momentum Nestle gained during the pandemic waned, particularly as the company alienated consumers with high prices in 2023.
Slowing Innovation: Another significant issue was the slowdown in product development. New and revamped products were taking longer to be introduced, which hurt Nestle’s competitive edge. Schneider acknowledged that supply chain constraints in 2022 left "less energy" for innovation, which may have inadvertently boosted private label (store-brand) competition—something he had previously downplayed.
Stock Performance: Nestle's stock has fallen approximately 30% since its peak in early 2022, reflecting investor concerns about the company’s direction under Schneider’s leadership. This decline in stock value was a stark contrast to the earlier period of his tenure when the stock reached record highs.
Missed Market Opportunities: Unlike competitors such as PepsiCo and Unilever, which managed to rebound with increased volumes and strong advertising, Nestle struggled to regain market share. Even after slowing its price hikes, the company’s volumes—referred to as 'real internal growth'—remained weak. Schneider’s reduction in marketing spend in 2022, due to supply chain and capacity issues, was criticized by analysts and investors.
Board's Growing Concerns: The board’s concerns were not new and had been raised in various calls with analysts and investors over the years. The combination of slow growth, innovation setbacks, and underinvestment led to growing dissatisfaction with Schneider’s leadership.
Schneider’s Legacy and Replacement:
Mark Schneider, who became the first outsider to lead Nestle in nearly a century, initially achieved notable successes, including growing operating margins to 17.3% from 16.5% during his tenure. However, his inability to sustain sales growth and innovation ultimately led to his downfall.
Schneider has been replaced by Laurent Freixe, a long-time Nestle insider with 40 years of experience in the company. Freixe, who has pledged to focus on organic growth rather than acquisitions, is seen as a seasoned industry expert with a broad network of contacts. His immediate challenge will be to address the issues that plagued Schneider’s tenure and restore Nestle’s market momentum.
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