Nestlé appoints Manuela Bernasconi as group general counsel

Manuela Bernasconi (pictured) will take on the role of group general counsel at Nestlé and join the executive board on January 1, 2027. Currently head of legal for the Americas, she will succeed Leanne Geale, who will leave the group after seven years leading the legal function.

Bernasconi joined Nestlé in 2007 as legal counsel in the Corporate & Group Compliance area. She then held legal roles for Europe and for Nestlé Switzerland, before moving to Nespresso in 2017, where she became general counsel in 2020. She subsequently led the legal function for Latin America and, since January 2025, for the entire Americas region.

CEO Philipp Navratil highlighted Bernasconi’s knowledge of the company, built up over almost twenty years, and her experience in handling legal, regulatory and compliance matters. He also thanked Geale for her work in strengthening the Legal & Compliance function, including in the area of human rights.