Nestlé's Board of Directors has appointed Manuela Bernasconi as Group General Counsel and a member of the Group Executive Board, effective 1 January 2027. Bernasconi, currently General Counsel for Zone Americas, joined Nestlé in 2007 as Legal Counsel in Corporate & Group Compliance and has held increasingly senior legal leadership roles, including General Counsel for Nespresso in 2020, General Counsel for Zone Latin America, and her current Americas role since January 2025. She succeeds Leanne Geale, who will retire after seven years as Nestlé's Group General Counsel. CEO Philipp Navratil said Bernasconi's nearly 20 years at Nestlé and her legal, regulatory and compliance expertise make her ideally placed to lead the Legal & Compliance function, and thanked Geale for strengthening and professionalizing the function, including the company's approach to human rights.
Nestle S.A.Nestlé appoints Manuela Bernasconi as Group General Counsel to succeed retiring Leanne Geale; a routine executive succession with no clear financial driver.
