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Laurent Freixe to Piotr Szczerek: 3 CEOs who went viral for shocking scandals
Scandals exposed three CEOs from different industries to social media's wrath. Two of them were removed from their positions.
In the past few months, three CEOs from different corporate sectors went viral for all the wrong reasons. Be it Laurent Freixe, Piotr Szczerek, or Andy Byron, these CEO’s actions caused massive outrage among people.
Who is Laurent Freixe?
Swiss multinational Nestlé dismissed its former chief executive officer, Laurent Freixe, after he was found to be in an “undisclosed romantic relationship” with a subordinate. The executive was fired for breaching the company’s code of business conduct.
Also Read: Polish CEO Piotr Szczerek blasted for stealing signed cap from kid at US Open
“This was a necessary decision,” Paul Bulcke, who had overseen the investigation into Freixe, said in a statement. “Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service.” The former CEO worked at the company for 40 years.
After his departure, Nestlé's Board of Directors announced Philipp Navratil as the company's new CEO.
“I am pleased to announce Philipp Navratil as CEO. Philipp is recognised for his impressive track record of achieving results in challenging environments. Renowned for his dynamic presence, he inspires teams and leads with a collaborative, inclusive management style. The Board is confident that he will drive our growth plans forward and accelerate efficiency efforts. We are not changing course on strategy and we will not lose pace on performance,” Bulcke said about Navratil in a statement.
Who is Piotr Szczerek?
Piotr Szczerek, the CEO of the Polish company Drogbruk, received massive backlash on social media after a video of him at the US Open tournament went viral. In the video, he was caught on camera snatching a signed cap off a young boy given to the kid by a tennis player.
Since the incident, the CEO has apologised, adding that it was never his "intent to steal away a prized memento from the young fan". In a statement, he took responsibility for his “poor judgment and hurtful actions.”
“I have sent the hat back to the boy and extended my sincere apologies to his family. I hope, at least to a small extent, I was able to repair the harm I caused.”
A few social media posts claiming to be from Szczerek have surfaced online, but the CEO denied those claims. He wrote, “I also want to state clearly: neither I nor my wife nor my sons commented on this situation on social media or on any other platform. We did not hire any law firm regarding this matter. All statements appearing online accredited to us were false and were not authored by us or our representatives.”
Who is Andy Byron?
Andy Byron, the CEO of the technology firm Astronomer Inc., resigned after his awkward reaction to a kiss cam at a Coldplay concert went viral. Byron was seen embracing Chief People Officer Kristen Cabot, who is not his wife, at the concert.
Also Read: How Chris Martin accidentally broke the internet: All about Andy Byron, Kristin Cabot ‘kiss cam’ scandal
During the concert, the Jumbotron cut to different audience members and, at one point, showed Byron and Cabot embracing. Their reactions to being featured on the big screen, with Byron ducking and Cabot covering her face with her hands, instantly went viral and caused a huge uproar, which led to both resigning from the tech firm.
