Pablo Isla, Nestlé’s current Vice Chairman, has been appointed as Chairman. He is set to assume the role following the retirement of Paul Bulcke, the current Chairman of Nestlé SA, at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 16 April 2026.
Joined in 2018, Isla now set to lead Nestlé board
Isla joined Nestlé’s Board of Directors in 2018. Since 2024, he has been serving as Vice Chairman and Lead Independent Director. He is also a member of the company’s Nomination and Compensation Committee, as well as the Chairman’s and Corporate Governance Committee.
Prior to his role at Nestlé, Isla served as CEO of Inditex (the parent company of Zara) from 2005 to 2011, and as Chairman and CEO from 2011 to 2022.
He also worked with Altadis, a major tobacco company in Spain, where he was Co-Executive Chairman from 2000 to 2005. Prior to that, he held various senior positions at Banco Popular, including as General Secretary and Executive Member managing Finance, IT, HR, Legal, and Communications.
Early career in government and law
Isla started his career in public service. From 1988 to 1991, he served as a Spanish State Attorney under the Ministry of Transport, Tourism and Communication. He later represented the Spanish government in the United Nations as part of the Commission on International Trade Law in 1991–92.
He also worked as General Manager in the National Heritage Department of Spain’s Treasury Ministry and served as Group General Counsel at Banco Popular in the 1990s.
Bulcke to end his five-decade journey at Nestlé
Paul Bulcke joined Nestlé in 1979 and steadily rose through the ranks. He has decided not to stand for re-election, marking the end of his long and impactful career at the global food and beverage giant.
He became a member of the Executive Board in 2004, handling operations in the Americas. In 2008, he was appointed CEO, a position he held for eight years. He has been serving as Chairman of the Board since April 2017.
As Nestlé prepares for this leadership transition, Bulcke shared his plans post-retirement: “It is the right moment for me to dedicate more time to my family and to embrace my many other interests.”
Freixe to continue leading Nestlé as CEO alongside Isla
Laurent Freixe, who became CEO of Nestlé on 1 September 2024 and joined the Board in April 2025, will continue to lead the company alongside Isla. The leadership team is expected to focus on Nestlé’s core values and continue its strategy around nutrition, health, wellness, and shared value creation.