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Nestlé

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FY2014 Annual Report · Nestlé
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Annual Report 2014

 
CONTENTS

2

6

8

14

26

34

42

43

44

55

56

58

59

60

62

63

64

Letter to our shareholders
Enhancing lives and well-being

The strategy
The highlights
The future

Our brands

Financial review
Leading positions in dynamic categories
Business review
Principal risks and uncertainties
Geographical data: factories

Corporate Governance and Compliance
Corporate Governance
Board of Directors of Nestlé S.A.
Executive Board of Nestlé S.A. 
Compliance
Shareholder information

Accompanying reports

Corporate Governance Report 2014 
Compensation Report 2014
Financial Statements 2014

Nestlé in society

Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2014

Corporate Governance Report 2014 
Compensation Report 2014
Financial Statements 2014

Nestlé in society
Creating Shared Value and meeting 
our commitments 2014

NESTLÉ IN NUMBERS

Group sales (in CHF)

91.6 billion  

Trading operating profit (in CHF)

14.0 billion

Employees

339 000

Countries we operate in

197

Where we sell (in CHF billion)

Our top 10 Markets plus Switzerland (in CHF billion)

EUROPE

25.9

ASIA,
OCEANIA 
AND AFRICA

26.3

UNITED STATES

GREATER CHINA REGION

FRANCE

BRAZIL

GERMANY

UNITED KINGDOM

MEXICO

PHILIPPINES

ITALY

CANADA

6.6

5.5

5.1

3.3

3.0

3.0

2.5

2.1

2.0

SWITZERLAND

1.6

AMERICAS

39.4

What we sell (in CHF billion)

20.3

16.7

13.5

13.1

POWDERED AND 
LIQUID BEVERAGES

MILK PRODUCTS 
AND ICE CREAM

PREPARED DISHES 
AND COOKING AIDS

NUTRITION AND 
HEALTH SCIENCE

11.3

PETCARE

9.8

6.9

CONFECTIONERY

WATER

23.5

1

Nestlé Annual Report 2014NESTLÉ IN SOCIETY

98%

73

of our children’s products met all of the  
Nestlé Nutritional Foundation criteria (a) for  
children at the end of 2014.

Our Healthy Kids Global Programme reached more 
than 7.6 million children in 73 countries in 2014.

Top 3

73%

We are ranked one of the top 3 global food and 
beverage manufacturers in the current Access  
to Nutrition Index.

We audited 8700 of our 10 000 Tier 1 suppliers and 
found 73% fully complied with our Supplier Code.

 FTSE4Good

 Leader

We remain the only infant formula manufacturer 
included in FTSE’s responsible investment index, 
based on our performance in human rights, labour 
rights, responsible marketing of breast-milk 
substitutes and more.

We were ranked number one by the charity Oxfam 
in its 2014 scorecard, Behind the Brands. The survey 
scored 10 food and beverage companies on their 
efforts to improve food security.

38%

52%

Volume of high-priority categories of raw material 
that are traceable back to the primary source.

Water discharges per tonne of product cut  
by 52% since 2005.

72

 12 458

factories achieving zero waste for disposal in 2014.

farmers sensitised on child labour issues in 2014.

 11 832

26%

Nestlé Needs YOUth helped 11 832 young people  
in Europe find work or apprenticeship opportunities 
in 2014.

Energy consumption per tonne of product cut  
by 26% since 2005.

(a)  The Nestlé Nutritional Foundation criteria are based 

on nutrition science and public health dietary 
recommendations, such as those of the World Health 
Organization (WHO), the Institute of Medicine and other 
global or local authorities. Our products are evaluated 
against these criteria, using the Nestlé Nutritional 
Profiling System, which determines their nutritional 
value and whether they achieve the Nestlé Nutritional 
Foundation status.

KEY FIGURES (CONSOLIDATED)

In millions of CHF
(except for data per share and employees)

Results

Sales

Trading operating profit

as % of sales

Profit for the period attributable to shareholders of the parent (Net profit)

as % of sales

Balance sheet and Cash flow statement

Equity attributable to shareholders of the parent

Net financial debt

Ratio of net financial debt to equity (gearing)

Operating cash flow

as % of net financial debt

Free cash flow (a)

Capital expenditure 

as % of sales

Data per share

Weighted average number of shares outstanding (in millions of units)

Basic earnings per share

Underlying earnings per share (b)

Dividend as proposed by the Board of Directors of Nestlé S.A.

Market capitalisation, end December

Number of employees (in thousands)

2013

2014

92 158

14 047

15.2%

10 015

10.9%

62 575

14 690

23.5%

14 992

102.1%

10 486

4 928

5.3%

3 191

3.14

3.50

2.15

91 612

14 019

15.3%

14 456

15.8%

70 130

12 325

17.6%

14 700

119.3%

14 137

3 914

4.3%

3 188

4.54

3.44

2.20

 208 279 

 231 136 

 333 

 339 

CHF

CHF

CHF

(a)  Operating cash flow less capital expenditure, expenditure on intangible assets, investments (net of divestments) in associates  

and joint ventures, and other investing cash flows. 

(b)  Profit per share for the year attributable to shareholders of the parent before impairments, restructuring costs, results on disposals  

and significant one-off items. The tax impact from the adjusted items is also adjusted for.

LETTER TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS

Dear fellow shareholder,

The business environment was again marked by great uncer-
tainty in 2014. Disruptive socio-economic and political change 
continued to affect growth in many parts of the world. In the 
emerging markets, economic volatility worsened as growth 
rates  slowed  and  currencies  weakened.  In  the  developed 
markets, deflationary pressures and soft consumer demand 
resulted in a continued challenging trading environment. In 
the face of such uncertainty it was more important than ever 
to stay the course and remain loyal to our strategy, driving 
short-term  performance  while  ensuring  we  made  the  right 
decisions  to  deliver  our  long-term  goals.  We  took  decisive 
steps to further our ambition to be the world’s recognised 
leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness company, trusted by 
all  stakeholders,  while  again  delivering  financial  results  in 
2014 that outperformed the market. 

Sales were CHF 91.6 billion, with organic growth of 4.5%, 
composed  of  real  internal  growth  of  2.3%  and  pricing  of 
2.2%. The Group’s trading operating profit was CHF 14.0 bil-
lion and the margin increased by 10 basis points to 15.3%, 
up 30 basis points in constant currencies. This performance 
was  achieved  whilst  we  again  increased  consumer  facing 
marketing  support  for  our  brands.  The  net  profit  rose  to 
CHF 14.5 billion. The CHF 4.4 billion increase in net profit also 
reflects the profit realised on the disposal of part of the stake 
in L’Oréal and the revaluation gain on the 50% of Galderma  
already held when the Group brought its ownership from 50% 
to 100% (see below). Earnings per share were CHF 4.54, up 
44.6%. Underlying earnings per share were up 4.4% in con-
stant currencies. The Group’s operating cash flow remained 
strong at CHF 14.7 billion. In view of this performance and the 
company’s strong financial position, the Board is proposing 
a dividend of CHF 2.20 per share up from CHF 2.15 last year.

Through continuous innovation and renovation of our food 
and beverages portfolio we are able to offer people healthier 
and  tastier  choices  at  every  stage  of  their  life,  at  any  time 
of the day. Science-based innovation enables us to enhance 
the quality of people’s diets, using our knowledge and our 
research and development capability to make a positive con-
tribution to society. Wherever you are in the world, we have 
safe,  nutritious  products  to  help  you  care  for  yourself  and 
your family. A few years ago, we expanded the boundaries 
of Nutrition, Health and Wellness with the creation of Nestlé 
Health Science, motivated by the opportunity to forge a major 
therapeutic role for nutrition in the management of health. In 
line with this broadened strategy, in 2014 the Board approved 

the sale of 48.5 million L’Oréal shares to L’Oréal for cancella-
tion. Part of the proceeds were used for the acquisition of the 
50% stake in our joint venture Galderma from L’Oréal, bring-
ing our ownership of Galderma to 100%. Galderma formed 
the foundation of a new Nestlé subsidiary, Nestlé Skin Health. 
Its goal is to be recognised as the leading company in skin 
health, offering science-based solutions to protect, nourish 
and enhance skin, and where needed to treat, correct and 
restore damaged skin over the course of people’s lives. Nestlé 
Skin  Health  provides  prescription  drugs,  self-medication, 
therapeutic  skin  care  and  aesthetic  and  corrective  medi-
cine, allowing us to compete in the growing and promising 
multi-billion global skincare market. Nestlé Skin Health was 
further strengthened by the acquisition of the full rights to 
commercialise several key aesthetic dermatology products in 
the United States and Canada.

These developments ensure that, building on the strong 
foundations of our food and beverages business and guided 
increasingly by science, we can further expand our portfolio 
to provide promising platforms for future growth in line with 
our strategy of Nutrition, Health and Wellness. At the same 
time, we continue the drive to ensure our company is organ-
ised efficiently and effectively to deliver continuous profitable 
growth over the long term. With this objective in mind we 
made some key decisions, adapting our organisational struc-
ture to better prepare ourselves today to meet the challenges 
of tomorrow.

While our company continues to benefit from its decen-
tralised structure, allowing key decisions to be made as close 
as possible to consumers, there is still an important oppor-
tunity to better leverage our scale. That is why in 2014 we 
set up Nestlé Business Excellence at Executive Board Level, 
combining  GLOBE  (Nestlé’s  Global  Business  Excellence 
function) with Nestlé Business Services (our shared operation 
for transactional services around the world) and Nestlé Con-
tinuous Excellence (our continuous improvement and LEAN 
programme).  Through  a  focus  on  three  areas:  Simplifying, 
Standardising and Sharing, Nestlé Business Excellence will 
allow us to decrease structural costs and operational expens-
es, freeing up resources to support growth. This will also al-
low our markets to keep a sharp focus on generating demand.
We  have  integrated  the  Maghreb,  the  Middle  East,  the 
North East Africa region, Turkey and Israel into Zone Europe 
to form Zone EMENA (Europe, Middle East and North Africa). 
This balances the different consumer dynamics and oppor-
tunities in each geography. Additionally it allows a sharper 
focus in Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa, a fast-growing part 

2

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Paul Bulcke, Chief Executive Officer (left), and Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman (right). 

3

Nestlé Annual Report 2014LETTER TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS

of the world where three quarters of the global population 
live, enabling us to dedicate more attention to countries and 
regions which are highly complex but have huge potential.

The new Nestlé Business Excellence function is led by Chris  
Johnson, the former head of Zone Americas. Zone Americas 
is now led by Laurent Freixe, the former head of Zone Europe, 
and the new Zone EMENA by Luis Cantarell, who previously 
was in charge of Nestlé Nutrition and Nestlé Health Science. 
The new head of Nestlé Nutrition is Heiko Schipper, who was 
formerly responsible for our Global Infant Nutrition division. 
Nestlé Health Science is led by Greg Behar, who joined the 
company from Boehringer Ingelheim in July. The newly estab-
lished Nestlé Skin Health is led by Humberto Antunes, former-
ly the Chief Executive Officer of our joint venture Galderma.

We  further  reinforced  our  business  through  continued 
active  portfolio  management,  reviewing  the  performance 
of  different  products  in  different  markets  to  assess  strate-
gic fit, the extent to which they were accretive against our 
financial  targets,  and  what  investments  were  necessary  to 
deliver growth. We made choices about where we wanted to 
invest, where we wanted to improve, and what we wanted to 
divest. Making such choices enables us to align our resourc-
es behind our best ideas, products and categories, to deliver 
sustained financial performance and help us on our journey 
to recognised Nutrition, Health and Wellness leadership over 
the short term and the long term.

We  also  announced  new  investments  and  research 
collaborations, which will enhance our ability to deliver sci-
ence-based solutions to improve the quality of people’s lives. 
A  newly-announced  research  partnership  with  the  EpiGen 
consortium will help us to better develop our understanding 
of the influence of nutrition and genetics at the beginning of 
life  and  continue  to  build  our  knowledge  in  this  important 
area. The Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences began a collab-
oration on a groundbreaking project, which could one day 
lead to the development of made-to-measure vitamin com-
binations  tailored  to  individual  needs.  Our  company  was 
founded almost 150 years ago on the product Henri Nestlé 
invented, farine lactée. It saved the life of a child. Today we 
continue to invest in science-based innovation to ensure we 
can answer current and future needs. 

It is our fundamental belief that to be successful over time 
we  need  to  create  value  for  our  shareholders  while  at  the 
same time creating value for society. We call this Creating 
Shared Value. To prosper we have to take a long-term view, 
framed in a robust set of principles and values that are based 
on respect: respect for people, respect for the environment, 

and  respect  for  the  world  we  live  in.  What  we  do  and  the 
effects of what we do are highly visible. It is our responsibility 
to connect with different stakeholders, to show transparency 
and build trust. We have therefore again in 2014 reported on 
our social performance and our compliance in our Nestlé in 
society report, and our progress towards meeting the tough 
targets we set ourselves.

In 2014 we held another successful Creating Shared Value 
forum, this time at the Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne, 
co-organised for the first time with a United Nations body, 
the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). 
The President of the Swiss Confederation used his address to 
the event to plead for water to become a self-standing goal 
of  the  future  global  development  agenda.  At  the  event  we 
renewed our long-standing partnership with the International 
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Since 
2006 this collaboration has focused on the improvement of 
rural communities’ access to clean water and sanitation. 

Currently, at the United Nations there are intense discus-
sions about the global development goals for the period after 
2015. At the same time, governments and international organ-
isations are increasingly reliant on the expertise, experience 
and resources of the private sector to help address some of 
the  world’s  most  pressing  problems.  This  offers  an  oppor-
tunity for global companies such as Nestlé to make a valu-
able contribution, in partnership with governments and civil  
society. We are participating actively in the policy dialogue in 
areas which will deeply influence our future business, such as 
food security, nutrition and health, water, sustainability, and 
human rights.

The Board of Directors has actively supported the decisions 
we have taken to further strengthen our Nutrition, Health and 
Wellness strategy in 2014. It carried out a review of the Wyeth 
acquisition, received an update on Nestlé Professional, and 
visited our operations in France, where the discussions includ-
ed a focus on Nestlé Waters. The Board discussed our global 
strategy in November, and reviewed our business in the United  
States, as well as Nestlé Nutrition, Nestlé Health Science and 
Nestlé Skin Health. It also examined our past capital invest-
ments and future needs, as well as our continuing active port-
folio management. The Board exercised its responsibilities for 
financial planning and oversight, risk and compliance man-
agement, and setting the right tone at the top of the company.
At our 2014 shareholders’ meeting, the Board proposed 
significant changes to our corporate governance in response 
to changes in Swiss legislation. The changes to our Articles 
of Association were approved by a large majority. For the first 

4

Nestlé Annual Report 2014time in 2014, shareholders had to elect all members of the Board 
for annual terms and to directly elect the Chairman of the Board 
and the Members of the Compensation Committee. The new 
governance framework had a significant impact on our Annual 
General Meeting (AGM) and put compliance at the forefront of 
the meeting. The role of the Board has changed and the AGM 
has  been  given  increased  responsibilities.  We  therefore  lead 
an active dialogue with our shareholders and proxy advisors to  
explain these changes and new responsibilities. 

At our next AGM in April, we will for the first time submit our 
proposals for the compensation of the Board of Directors and 
the Executive Board for approval by our shareholders as required 
by the new legislation. We have implemented these measures 
in a manner designed to preserve legal certainty, while ensuring 
that compensation remains competitive. We continue our active  
dialogue  with  investors  and  encourage  all  shareholders  to  
vote and to help preserve our long-term focus as set out in our 
Articles of Association.

Our success has always been based upon our determin ation 
to stay the course and look ahead, to understand the environ-
ment in which we operate, to organise ourselves to seize op-
portunities to deliver profitable growth, now and in the future. 
Although we are operating in a challenging and turbulent eco-
nomic environment, we see these as fascinating times, full of 
opportunities. We continue to commit ourselves to ambitious fi-
nancial targets. We aim to achieve organic growth of around 5% 
to 6%, improvements in margins and underlying earnings per 
share in constant currencies, as well as capital efficiency. There 
will be years when we exceed our ambition and years where we 
come close, but this is the line we want to walk over time.

We would like to thank our 339 000 employees, whose com-
mitment to Nestlé, hard work and disciplined alignment behind 
our strategy ensured that we achieved our common goals. Their 
talent, their creativity, their discipline and entre preneurship are 
key to delivering our results. We would also like to thank you, our 
shareholders, for your investment and your confidence, which 
have enabled us to deliver good  returns for investors over the 
long term.

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe  
Chairman

Paul Bulcke 
Chief Executive Officer

5

Nestlé Annual Report 2014ENHANCING LIVES AND WELL-BEING

6

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Supporting parents in raising  
healthier children

12

Developing innovative products  
to safeguard skin health 

16

Helping ageing dogs maintain brain health

20

Continuing to deliver the highest quality 
espresso coffee through Nespresso 

24

Extending new job opportunities  
to European youth 

30

7

Nestlé Annual Report 2014THE STRATEGY

8

For almost 150 years we have enhanced people’s lives by offer-
ing tastier and healthier food and beverages choices at all stages 
of life and at any time of day, helping them care for themselves 
and their families. We have built our success by anti cipating the 
future and continuously adapting ourselves to seize the oppor-
tunities it presents. 
Through the continuous innovation and renovation of our pro-
ducts we are helping people enjoy healthier diets. In 2014 we 
continued to invest behind the ideas, the products and the cat-
egories that help us on our journey towards recognised Nutrition,  
Health and Wellness leadership, and deliver sustained financial 
performance. 
The  Nestlé  Strategic  Roadmap  (facing  page)  is  our  compass, 
driving internal alignment behind our goals. The roadmap shows 
the strengths we leverage to drive performance and deliver com-
petitive advantage. Our strong culture, values and principles, all 
based on respect, unite us worldwide.
Our ambition is not just to be the leader but the industry refer-
ence for Nutrition, Health and Wellness. In recent years we have 
built on the strong foundations of our unrivalled food and bev-
erage portfolio, exploring the benefits of nutrition’s therapeutic 
role with Nestlé Health Science. In 2014 we again expanded the 
boundaries of Nutrition, Health and Wellness with the creation 
of Nestlé Skin Health, offering scientifically-proven products and 
solutions for people’s skin health needs throughout their lives.
In the following pages we highlight some of our efforts to con-
tribute to society, driven by our determination to offer Nutrition, 
Health and Wellness for all.

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Operational  
pillars

Innovation 
and renovation

e – Sustain a b ilit y

c
n
a
i
l
p
m
o
C

Whenever,
wherever, 
however

Operational
efficiency

Growth  
drivers

Out-of-home 
consumption

Nutrition, 
Health and 
Wellness

Emerging 
markets and
Popularly 
Positioned 
Products

C

r

e

a

t
i

n

g

S

h

a

r

e

d

V
a

l

u
e

Our objective is to be the 
leader in Nutrition, Health and 
Wellness, and the industry 
reference for financial 
performance, trusted 
by all stakeholders

Premiumisation

Consumer
engagement

N

e

stlé culture, values   a n d   p r i n

c i p le s

Unmatched
product
and brand
portfolio

People, 
culture, values 
and attitude

Unmatched 
geographic 
presence

Unmatched 
research 
and development 
capability

Competitive  
advantages

9

Nestlé Annual Report 2014 
 
THE STRATEGY

Nutrition, Health and Wellness – 
our promise for a better life

We enhance people’s lives by offering tastier  
and healthier food and beverage choices  
at all stages of life and at all times of the day.

Nutrition, Health and Wellness is a priority for the people who 
buy our products, for society as a whole and for us as a busi-
ness. As the world’s leading food and beverage company we 
have a responsibility to use our knowledge and our research 
and development capability to make a positive difference to 
society. We have an important role to play in not only provid-
ing good nutrition but in helping people understand its value. 
Start Healthy Stay Healthy is our interactive, science-based 
education  programme  designed  to  help  parents  and  care-
givers  provide  nutritionally  and  developmentally  adequate 
nutrition in the crucial first 1000 days of life. We support and 
promote breastfeeding as the best start a baby can have in 
life. Our educational programmes are targeted at people who 
are most involved in implementing good practices during this 
important early period in a child’s development. We help to 
guide parents and caregivers to raise healthier children and 
help healthcare professionals have a greater impact on the 
nutritional aspects of care of future generations. 

We continue to reinforce our leadership in the area of chil-
dren’s nutrition. By the end of 2014 98% of all our products 
for children met the Nestlé Nutritional Foundation criteria for 
children.  These  criteria  are  based  on  nutrition  science  and 
public health dietary recommendations from bodies such as 
the World Health Organization and the Institute of Medicine. 
Our products are evaluated against these criteria using the 
Nestlé  Nutritional  Profiling  System  which  determines  their 
nutritional value and whether they achieve Nestlé Nutritional 
Foundation status.

We are carrying out large-scale studies together with lead-
ing scientists of children’s diet and lifestyles, based on the 
success of the Nestlé Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study. In 
addition to dietary intakes and behaviours, our research ex-
plores family dynamics around diets and key lifestyle patterns 
of children while documenting their height and weight. We 
use this data to support our product reformulation, consumer 
communication and educational programmes, and we share 
the results with the wider scientific community, non-govern-
mental organisations and others.

We ensure global compliance with responsible advertis-
ing and marketing standards for children, abiding by external 
pledges such as the EU Pledge. At the end of 2014, the Ex-
ecutive Board approved an updated and strengthened Nestlé 
Marketing Communication to Children Policy, which will come 
into effect in December 2015. To ensure consistent and effec-
tive implementation, detailed internal guidelines have been 
developed and external stakeholders are encouraged to pro-
vide feedback via our Tell us reporting mechanism. We have 
phased  out  our  marketing  communication  in  schools  and 
reinforced our health and wellness education activities, par-
ticularly those that positively impact children’s development 
and support governments’ goals to increase physical activity. 
By  the  end  of  2014  the  Nestlé  Healthy  Kids  programme 
was in 73 countries, supporting initiatives which demonstrate 
how appropriate nutrition and exercise can improve the health 
of children and their communities. In addition, our own stud-
ies in four countries have shown that two thirds of children 
are insufficiently hydrated when they arrive at school. In 2014 
we provided tools and information that schools, parents and 
caregivers need to ensure children learn about the benefits of 
healthy hydration. 

United for Healthier Kids is a platform, created by Nestlé 
in  2014,  where  society  can  engage  and  collaborate  to  find 
ways to improve the health and wellness of children, from 
conception to the age of 12 years. In Mexico, a TV series was 
launched which supports and encourages five families look-
ing to change their eating and lifestyle habits over six months. 
The platform has also been launched in the Philippines.

Through innovation and renovation we continue to make 
our products tastier and healthier. In line with the recommen-
dations from public health authorities, we are reducing the 
amount of salt, sugar and saturated fats in our products as 
part of our contribution towards the fight against non-com-
municable diseases in society. Our reduction targets are in-
cluded in our public nutrition commitments (detailed in the 
Nestlé in society report) so our progress can be measured. 
We are also ensuring that whole grains are the primary ingre-
dient in our breakfast cereals for children and teenagers. 

We want to help people who buy our products to make 
informed  decisions  by  giving  them  better  nutritional  infor-
mation on our product labels. We are enhancing our portion 
guidance and have committed to print GDAs (Guideline Daily 
Amounts) on the front of all relevant packaging. These make 
it easier for people to see how much salt, sugar or fat is in the 
product, and how the amounts compare to reference daily 
guidelines. Nestlé Portion Guidance is a voluntary initiative 

10

Nestlé Annual Report 2014that bridges the gap between dietary recommendations and 
more user-friendly information to promote the right portion 
size. It is designed to help reframe portion norms, particularly 
in energy dense categories where habitual servings have in-
creased over time. 

In parts of the world where people find it difficult to get 
essential vitamins and minerals in their daily diets, we fortify 
foods  to  help  them  and  their  families  stay  healthy.  We  are 
on track to deliver our commitment of 200 billion servings of  
micronutrient fortified foods and beverages annually around 
the world by next year. In 2014 we continued to extend the 
reach of our microfortification programmes, focusing on cat-
egories for children and women of child-bearing age, such as 
fortified infant cereals and growing-up milks.

Nestlé Healthy Kids
Finding ways to help children, like these  
in Brazil, to be more active and to make  
healthy eating choices helps them achieve  
and maintain a healthy body weight.

Salt reduction
Nestlé scientists at the Product 
Technology Centre in Singen, 
Germany, are working to reduce 
the amount of salt in Maggi Tomato 
Mozzarella Soup by enhancing 
other flavours.

Guiding the portions
This label from Italy gives detailed information 
about the contents of a recommended  
portion made with 13.5 g of Nestlé Nesquik  
and 200 ml of milk. 

Read more about Nutrition, Health and Wellness: 
www.nestle.com/nutrition-health-wellness
www.nestle.com/csv/nutrition

11

Nestlé Annual Report 201412

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Supporting  
parents in  
raising healthier 
children

Nestlé aims to support parents with 
the information they need to make the 
most informed decisions about their 
children’s health and eating habits, 
such as the importance of regular 
consumption of fruits and vegetables, 
and of exercise.

We believe getting it right early in life 
pays big dividends in terms of health 
and well-being throughout life. 

Supporting parents is part of Nestlé’s 
commitment to helping future 
generations develop their full potential 
and live healthier lives by providing 
high-quality, science-driven nutrition 
for infants and children in the first 
1000 days of life. 

Research carried out by the Nestlé Research Center, and 
published in the journal Appetite, indicates that children 
who help their parents prepare their own meals eat 
significantly more vegetables than those children who are 
not involved in cooking with their parents. 

13

Nestlé Annual Report 2014THE HIGHLIGHTS

14

Our company was founded almost 150 years ago on the product  
Henri Nestlé invented, farine lactée. It saved the life of a child. 
Nestlé’s success has been built on innovation, which will con-
tinue to drive performance and deliver profitable growth in the 
years  ahead.  Across  our  portfolio,  innovation  reinforced  our 
growth platforms in 2014. 
Increasingly, science-based innovation enables us to improve the 
quality of people’s lives with new ideas, products and solutions.  
We introduced a new lactose free infant formula with probiotic 
L. reuteri that helps infants recover from diarrhoea. We rolled out 
new  organic  fruit  purée  pouches  for  infants,  combining  good 
nutrition with convenience. 
In South East Asia we launched new premium noodles designed 
for growing urban populations. Maggi ‘so Tender from the Pan’, 
the  unique  seasoning  paper  that  can  be  used  to  cook  meat  
without oil, was rolled out to new markets.
Nestlé  Skin  Health  offered  people  innovative  ways  to  protect,  
nourish  and  enhance  their  skin  health  over  the  course  of  their 
lives. 
Our expertise in beverage systems ensured a good response from 
consumers  in  North  America  to  Nespresso’s  new  VertuoLine  
system.  By  the  end  of  2014,  Nescafé  Dolce  Gusto,  the  fastest 
growing coffee system business in the world, was being sold in 
more than 70 countries. In Japan we started using humanoid ro-
bots to sell Nescafé Dolce Gusto and Nescafé Gold Blend Barista 
coffee machines.
Across  the  globe,  our  petcare  business  benefited  from  an  in-
novation pipeline that delivered new products with proven bene-
fits based on good nutrition.
Some of these highlights are detailed on the following pages.

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Skin health, clear ahead 

Nestlé Skin Health’s unique holistic approach 
will help to protect, nourish and enhance skin 
health, while working to preserve and, when 
needed, to treat, correct and restore damaged 
skin back to its healthy state.

The  skin  is  the  largest  organ  in  the  human  body  and  it  is 
respon sible for safeguarding our health. Longer lifespans will 
mean good skin care will become more important if we are 
to extend a good quality of life to those of all ages. Seven out 
of ten people are affected by a skin disease at some point in 
their life. 

Nestlé Skin Health’s goal is to be recognised as the leading 
company in skin health. Created in 2014, it focuses on the 
CHF 130 billion health-conscious segment of the growing and 
promising global skincare market that was worth CHF 245 bil-
lion in 2013. It provides prescription drugs, self-medication, 
therapeutic skin care and aesthetic and corrective medicine, 
with  innovative  products  from  moisturisers  to  sunscreen, 
from medical aesthetic procedures to medicines used to treat 
serious conditions such as skin cancer.

Dermatology leader 
The strength and breadth of our suite  
of innovative products and medical solutions  
has made Nestlé Skin Health a global  
leader in dermatology.

Nestlé Skin Health’s vision  
is to enhance the quality of life  
by delivering science-based 
solutions for the health of skin, 
hair and nails over the course  
of people’s lives.

Product range
Nestlé Skin Health has a range of products 
that protect, nourish and enhance skin health 
and, when needed, treat, correct and restore 
damaged skin over the course of people’s lives.

Skin research
Nestlé Skin Health 
is supported by 
five research and 
development centres 
around the world 
in France, Japan, 
Sweden, Switzerland, 
and the United States.

Read more about Nestlé Skin Health:
www.nestleskinhealth.com
www.galderma.com

Follow the blog of Galderma’s CEO:
committed.galderma.com

15

Nestlé Annual Report 201416

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Developing 
innovative  
products to  
safeguard  
skin health

The skin is the largest organ in the 
human body and it is responsible  
for safeguarding our health. Because 
our skin is our interface with the  
world, healthy skin leads to improved 
 well-being.

Given the importance of skin in each 
of our daily lives, Nestlé Skin Health’s 
focus on science-based solutions  
is a way to enhance the quality of 
people’s lives.

Our focus is to provide a complete 
range of innovative products and 
solutions, and to make them available 
everywhere people go, so we are there, 
every day, to help protect, nourish and 
enhance, treat, correct and restore the 
health of your skin.

We look at our skin and it influences our self-view  
and well-being. Other people look at our skin  
and it shapes their perception of who we are. 

17

Nestlé Annual Report 2014THE HIGHLIGHTS

Start Healthy Stay Healthy: 
nurturing a healthier generation 
together

We provide high-quality, innovative, science-
proven nutrition for mothers and infants. 

The importance of the right nutrition and feeding practices 
during the first 1000 days of life, from conception to a child’s 
second birthday, is now widely accepted by the public health 
community.  Our  Start  Healthy  Stay  Healthy  programme  is 
dedicated to supporting mothers and caregivers to get nu-
trition right in the first 1000 days. Good nutrition is crucial for 
health, growth and development, and establishing the right 
feeding practices in early childhood also supports the estab-
lishment of good eating habits. 

We promote and support breastfeeding which is the best 
start a baby can have in life. Where breastfeeding is not pos-
sible, we provide breast-milk substitutes. In addition, we have 
developed science-based nutritional solutions for infants with 
specific medical needs, who are unable to absorb, digest or 
metabolise standard infant formulas and are at risk of death 
or abnormal development without access to these products.
We also provide a range of complementary foods, such 
as  infant  cereals  and  meals  and  drinks.  These  baby  foods 
contain  carefully  selected  high-quality  ingredients  and  are 
fortified with nutrients to meet the specific needs of infants in 
this important phase of life.

We market our breast-milk substitutes in line with the aims 
and principles of the World Health Organization’s Internation-
al  Code  of  Marketing  of  Breast-Milk  Substitutes  as  imple-
mented  by  governments.  Our  marketing  standards  are  the 
strictest in the industry. We are the only breast-milk substitute 
manufacturer to be included in the FTSE4Good responsible 
investment index (see the Nestlé in society report). 

18

Breast is best
We firmly believe that breastfeeding is 
best for babies and fully support the World 
Health Organization’s recommendation on 
breastfeeding. We also provide a conducive 
environment for our employees to breastfeed, 
such as through flexible work arrangements. 

We have 150 breastfeeding  
rooms at our premises around  
the world. 

Unique ingredients
Illuma is a premium 
brand containing a 
unique ingredient 
blend designed to 
enhance infants’ 
absorption of key 
nutrients. 

BabyNes
BabyNes is the first 
advanced nutrition 
system for infants and 
toddlers that offers 
age-specific, single-
serve formulas for 
children up to the age 
of three years old.

For more information:
www.nestle.com/aboutus/ask-nestle/answers/
how-does-nestle-support-breastfeeding

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Prolonging pet companionship 

Nestlé Purina is addressing cognitive decline  
in pets using research techniques that  
focus on adding nutritional enhancements  
to pet food.

Nestlé Purina scientists, veterinarians and nutritionists have 
been studying the effects of ageing on pets since 1986, when 
Purina  began  the  breakthrough  ‘Lifespan  Study’  of  canine 
diets.

Around age seven a dog’s glucose metabolism in the brain 
begins to change, which can affect memory, learning, aware-
ness or decision-making. Our scientists have discovered that 
medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) in certain botanical oils 
can be used as an additional alternative source of energy for 
the brain in these ageing dogs. 

Our  scientists  have  also  developed  a  proprietary  brain 
protection blend that includes fish oil to promote cognitive 
function in cats and dogs. Extensive testing in cats and dogs 
demonstrated improved cognitive and learning ability in pets 
fed this blend.

Nutritional benefits
Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind helps support 
cognitive function in pets.

Better together
Nestlé Purina PetCare hosted its second ‘Better 
with Pets’ summit in New York as a forum 
for discussing a range of pet care issues. The 
one-day event brought together opinion leaders 
from across the pet world, including retailers, 
bloggers, veterinary practitioners, leading 
animal welfare groups, and, of course,  
pet-lovers and owners. 

In December 2014, Glassdoor, 
an online jobs and career 
community, rated Nestlé Purina 
number three in its 2015 list  
of top 50 Best Places to Work.

Cognitive testing
This task, for an older dog, tests its mental 
capabilities.

Read more about Nestlé Purina: 
www.purina.com/innovation

Read more about the ‘Better with Pets’ summit: 
www.purina.com/better-with-pets/summit

19

Nestlé Annual Report 201420

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Helping ageing  
dogs maintain  
brain health

We understand the need for good 
nutrition to live healthily, so it’s 
imperative that pet owners are aware 
of similar nutritional breakthroughs 
available for their pets that help slow 
the changes associated with ageing.

Nestlé Purina scientists, veterinarians 
and nutritionists have been studying 
the effects of ageing on pets since 
1986, when Purina began the 
breakthrough ‘Lifespan Study’  
to look at canine diets.

Nestlé Purina’s recent work addresses 
cognitive decline in pets by using 
research techniques that focus on 
adding nutritional enhancements  
to pet food.

Nestlé Purina’s research has involved developing 
neuron-targeted nutrition with a blend of nutrients 
sourced from vegetable oils, such as coconut oil,  
to help improve memory function in older dogs.

21

Nestlé Annual Report 2014THE HIGHLIGHTS

Creating Shared Value – our way 
of doing business 

It is our fundamental belief that for a company 
to prosper over the long term we need to 
create value for shareholders while at the same 
time creating value for society. We call this 
Creating Shared Value. 

In the Nestlé in society report we detail our progress towards 
meeting our 38 Creating Shared Value commitments (includ-
ing  three  new  ones  for  2014).  These  commitments,  which 
we introduced in 2013, make it possible for stakeholders to 
hold us accountable, while at the same time encouraging our 
management, and all our employees, to achieve continuous 
improvement.  Creating  Shared  Value  requires  compliance 
with  the  highest  standards  of  business  practice,  including 
international codes and standards as well as our own. 

Global companies like Nestlé have a role to play and can 
make a valuable contribution to the efforts to address some 
of the critical issues the world faces, such as food security, 
nutrition and health, water, sustainability and human rights. 
Our Creating Shared Value approach focuses the business on 
the long term, where the success of society and economic 
activity are intertwined and mutually reinforcing. 

In 2014, at our sixth Creating Shared Value Forum, held in 
Switzerland, participants discussed how civil society and the 
private sector could work in partnership to strengthen and 
speed up sustainable development, focusing on the key areas 
of nutrition, water and rural development. 

Bees make honey
The 2014 Nestlé Creating Shared 
Value prize was awarded to  
Honey Care Africa, an East African 
fair trade honey company, which 
works with farmers in South Sudan. 

22

Water at the well
In 2014, we renewed a long-standing 
collaboration with the International Federation 
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 
with a particular focus on improving rural 
communities’ access to water.

 “We believe that there should 
be universal access to truly 
safe, not only improved,  
drinking water by 2025.”

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Nestlé Chairman, 
addressing the CSV Forum.

Presidential greeting
Then-President of the Swiss Confederation, 
Didier Burkhalter, is greeted by  
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Nestlé Chairman,  
at the 2014 Creating Shared Value  
Forum in Switzerland.

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Nespresso VertuoLine – a coffee 
revolution for North America

Nestlé Nespresso’s revolutionary system – 
VertuoLine – was launched in 2014 in the US 
and Canada. It brews long cups, matching 
North American preferences, as well as 
authentic espresso. 

The new system introduces Centrifusion technology to achieve  
a high level of precision, using bar-code recognition to adjust 
the extraction parameters for each Grand Cru coffee, deliver-
ing the perfect cup. VertuoLine is pioneering a new segment 
of highest-quality, long-cup, freshly-brewed coffee. It brings 
the quality seal of espresso, the crema, to the world of fresh-
ly-brewed long-cup coffee.

It is the most important innovation breakthrough for Nestlé 

Nespresso since the invention of portioned coffee in 1986. 

VertuoLine  features  a  new  line  of  12  Grands  Crus,  eight 
large-cup coffees and four espresso blends. The machine is 
sold directly to consumers through the network of Nespresso 
boutiques, over the phone and online and at selected North 
American retailers. 

Intelligent brewing
An intelligent extraction system allows the new 
Nespresso VertuoLine machine to recognise  
the different Grand Cru coffee capsules  
and brew each blend in the optimal way.

The VertuoLine rotates  
the coffee capsule 7000 times 
a minute to extract every  
drop of flavour.

Ensuring a sustainable supply  
of the best quality coffee is a top  
priority for Nespresso
The Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality 
Programme, developed with the Rainforest 
Alliance, was launched in 2003. It aims to 
secure the highest sustainable quality coffee  
for Nespresso’s Grands Crus while helping  
to improve the livelihoods of coffee farmers 
and their families through support and training. 
Nespresso pays above-market prices for  
its coffee beans, as part of its commitment  
in the programme.

Another research 
breakthrough
A researcher at 
the Nestlé System 
Technology Centre 
in Orbe, Switzerland, 
where many Nestlé 
technology systems 
have originated, 
including Nespresso 
VertuoLine.

Read more about Nespresso: 
www.nestle-nespresso.com
www.nestle-nespresso.com/ecolaboration

23

Nestlé Annual Report 201424

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Continuing to deliver 
the highest-quality 
espresso coffee 
through Nespresso

The Nespresso story began with a 
simple idea: enable anyone to create 
the perfect cup of espresso coffee,  
just like a skilled barista. 

From its beginning in 1986, Nespresso 
has redefined and revolutionised  
the way millions of people enjoy their 
espresso coffee.

The entire Nespresso system – the 
interaction of the Nespresso aluminium 
capsule with the Nespresso machine 
– is designed to ensure the highest 
quality that has made Nespresso the 
reference point in the portioned coffee 
sector and one of the fastest-growing 
global food and beverage brands.

Nespresso’s new coffee technology is delivering  
both American-style large-cup coffee and espresso  
to North American consumers.

25

Nestlé Annual Report 2014THE FUTURE

26

Across the world societies are getting older and the burden of 
healthcare costs is increasing. More than ever there is a need 
for safe, effective and affordable solutions to help people stay 
healthy. Our understanding of the importance of good nutrition 
to help manage health and treat disease continues to grow.
We will play our part in addressing the issues the world faces 
with  the  strategy  we  set  out  some  time  ago:  expanding  the 
boundaries of Nutrition, Health and Wellness, investigating the 
role of diet and nutrition in health, and innovating and renova-
ting constantly to provide effective solutions based on science. 
Building  on  the  strong  foundation  of  our  food  and  beverages 
business we will expand our portfolio to provide promising plat-
forms for future growth.
We also need to attract and retain the best talent: we are pleased 
that regularly Nestlé is ranked as one of the best global employ-
ers, but we are not complacent. We work hard to offer our staff 
the opportunity to grow and develop throughout their careers.
We report on the result of our efforts in these pages; in nutrition, 
in sustainable production, workplace policies and more.

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Changing the course of health 

Nestlé Health Science is a company engaged 
in advancing the role for nutritional therapy in 
the management of people’s health through 
investing in innovation and leveraging leading 
edge science.

By 2020, one billion people in the world will be over 60, in-
creasing  the  burden  on  society  from  obesity  and  chronic 
diseases. It is estimated global healthcare costs could rise to 
between USD 5–10 trillion by the end of the decade. At the 
same time scientific understanding of health, disease and the 
potential of nutrition is growing.

Nestlé Health Science aims to champion the role of nutri-
tional therapies that have proven clinical and health economic 
value, and improve the quality of people’s lives. The company  
focuses on three areas: Consumer Care, which aims to address  
specific  health  conditions  with  an  emphasis  on  enhancing 
‘healthy ageing’; Medical Nutrition, which supplies hospitals 
and other healthcare facilities; and Novel Therapeutic Nutri-
tion, which works on new nutritional therapies (including pre-
scribed medicines) for specific diseases and conditions that 
would be administered by a health professional.

Technology health product hub
The Product Technology Centre in Konolfingen, 
Switzerland, develops and manufactures a 
range of products for Nestlé Health Science.

Nestlé Institute of Health 
Sciences is involved in  
over 170 research collaborations  
with more than 60 partners.

Nestlé Health Science products
Nestlé Health Science has a range of nutrition 
solutions, diagnostics, devices and drugs that 
target health areas, such as paediatric and 
acute care, metabolic and obesity care, healthy 
ageing, and gastrointestinal and brain health.

Young at heart
Meritene, launched in 
Europe, is a nutritional 
range targeting 
age-related health 
challenges. 

Read more about Nestlé Health Science:
www.nestlehealthscience.com

Read more about the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences:
www.nestleinstitutehealthsciences.com

27

Nestlé Annual Report 2014 
Close concentration
A scientist at  
work in the Nestlé 
Institute of Health 
Sciences, located 
on the EPFL campus 
near Lausanne, 
Switzerland.

Nestlé biscuits
Nestlé Fitness biscuits are 
wholegrain cereal-based snacks 
low in fat and calories. After just 
three years, Nestlé Fitness biscuits 
hold the number one position in 
Brazil’s healthy biscuit segment. 
The biscuits are sold across South 
America and in Israel.

THE FUTURE

Nestlé  Health  Science  is  supported  in  its  work  by  the 
Nestlé  Institute  of  Health  Sciences  (NIHS)  which  under-
takes fundamental scientific research into how nutrition can 
be used to empower people to improve and maintain their 
health.  NIHS  research  teams  are  providing  greater  insight 
into  how  our  environment,  diet  and  lifestyle  intersect  with 
our genetic make-up, gut microorganisms, metabolism and 
nutritional status to determine our health. 

NIHS has established the first complete essential nutrient 
profiling  platform  for  accurate  analysis  of  nutrient  status. 
Thanks to the development of digital applications that capture 
dietary  intake,  the  institute  can  now  combine  the  informa-
tion about the nutritional content of diet with measurements 
in people’s blood. This research offers the prospect of de-
veloping  personalised  nutrition  products,  including  dietary 
recommendations. 

It has also built a natural products screening platform to 
discover compounds that may already exist in diets around 
the world and which can be used to improve metabolic and 
ageing health. 

Special milk for seniors
Nestlé’s Jian Xin Double Care, a specially 
designed milk to enhance heart and bone 
health for middle-aged and senior adults, was 
launched in China in December 2013. The 
product contains phytosterols, which lower LDL 
(‘bad’) cholesterol, as well as calcium  
and vitamin D. The brand raises awareness  
of heart health with in-store health checks and 
offers toll-free phone contact with doctors  
to discuss cardiovascular health. 

28

Fortified morn
Golden Morn is a ready-to-eat breakfast cereal 
sold in Nigeria, made of maize or millet, and 
fortified with micronutrients vitamin A and iron.

Nestlé Annual Report 2014 
Hiring young talent
A group of newly-hired Nestlé employees  
in Greece, where we launched our European 
Employment Initiative in 2013. Rates of 
unemployment in the country are among  
the highest in Europe.

Alliance for YOUth

At our 2014 CSV Forum, we announced 
that we will transform our European Youth 
Employment Initiative into a global programme. 
The initiative has two aims – to recruit and 
develop the next generation of Nestlé leaders 
and to help young people with the transition 
from education to work.

For the Nestlé Needs YOUth programme in Europe, where one  
in four people under the age of 25 is unemployed, we pledged 
to offer 20 000 jobs, apprenticeships and traineeships over 
three years, and establish readiness for work activities across 
our operations. We are well on schedule to achieve this with 
11 832 job and training opportunities created by the end of 
2014 and around 1600 readiness for work events completed.
We built on the success of this initiative in 2014 by estab-
lishing the Alliance for YOUth, a collaboration with around 
200 other companies, to scale up and coordinate our efforts 
to tackle youth unemployment. The efforts of the Alliance for 
YOUth will result in the creation of more than 100 000 oppor-
tunities for young people in Europe.

We will continue to lead the initiative 
to help tackle youth unemployment 
in Europe and globally, offering young 
people the chance of a more secure 
and productive future.

Follow Nestlé on LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/company/nestle-s.a.

29

Nestlé Annual Report 201430

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Extending new job 
opportunities to 
European youth

Helping young people become better 
prepared to enter the professional 
world and to improve their chances  
in a challenging job market is one  
of the great public policy issues in 
Europe today.

With youth unemployment in Europe 
at over 20%, we are committed to 
working hand in hand with policy-
makers and the education sector to 
foster both employability and job 
creation.

Building on our efforts, around 
200 companies have now joined forces 
with us to tackle protracted joblessness 
among young people in Europe.

The Nescafé Dolce Gusto factory in Germany is among  
the many Nestlé sites in Europe hiring young talent.

31

Nestlé Annual Report 2014THE FUTURE

Gender balance and diversity 

We want to create a workplace culture that 
provides equal opportunities for everyone  
and ensures that people are always treated 
with dignity and respect. Our talent pool 
should reflect the societies in which we 
operate and promoting gender balance and 
diversity makes good business sense.

We believe that different ways of thinking complement each 
other and lead to better decisions being made. Diverse teams 
are more creative, inclusive and competitive, and better re-
flect the markets we serve. We are a growing business and 
we need to recruit and nurture the best qualified people. This 
is  not  just  about  meeting  a  talent  gap  or  the  expectations 
of regulators. Gender balance and diversity strengthen our 
business.

In 2014, 33.5% of our managers were women, up from 31% 
in 2013. We promote gender balance by focusing on aware-
ness and education, flexible working, mentoring and mobility 
solutions. However, more remains to be done. Removing all 
gender-related barriers to women reaching top management 
positions  is  a  priority  for  the  company.  Quotas  are  not  the 
answer.  We  prefer  to  take  strategic  decisions  with  the  pri - 
mary  goal  of  increasing  the  diversity  and  gender  balance 
of our talent pool, but always promoting the best qualified  
person for each role.

We recognise too that we have responsibilities to promote 
gender balance and diversity in our supply chains. We have 
taken steps, such as our work with the Fair Labor Association 
on the role of women in the communities that supply us with 
cocoa, to increase women’s participation in these areas in a 
sustainable way. Since we signed the United Nations Wom-
en’s Empowerment Principles, a set of seven steps that busi-
nesses can take to advance gender equality and empower 
women, more than 700 000 women around the world have 
been empowered with the support of Nestlé’s programmes 
through education and other means.

32

Helping protect women in the workplace
The Infant Nutrition team in India was looking 
to increase women in the field force, especially 
since they would be able to bring their personal 
insights and experience to the table. A number 
of factors had to be considered in hiring women 
as a part of the field force. These were both 
cultural and logistical: safety of women during 
their travel and stay across locations being of 
prime importance. 

 “Nestlé builds success and our culture 
on strong diversity. We will accelerate 
gender balance. Women represent 
80% of our consumer spending 
decisions. 60% of graduates in the 
EU and USA are women. Improving 
gender balance will enrich our 
leadership and improve consumer 
understanding.”

Paul Bulcke, Nestlé Chief Executive Officer

Ongoing learning
The training sessions at the Rive-Reine 
international training centre in Switzerland 
provide additional education and training 
opportunities to Nestlé employees.

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Zero water – reducing water  
use in Mexico 

In 2014, we transformed a dairy factory in 
Mexico into the company’s first ‘zero water’ 
manufacturing site in the world. Cow’s  
milk is 88% water, so by extracting some of  
it to use in the factory’s systems, we are  
saving enough water to meet the average 
daily consumption of 6 400 people in the 
surrounding area.

The new technology used at the factory in Jalisco, Mexico, 
heats milk at low pressure to remove some of the water. The 
resulting  steam  is  then  condensed  and  treated  and  used 
to clean machines. It is then recycled and used again. The 
process reduces by 15% the total amount of water used by 
Nestlé Mexico. Work is now underway to deploy similar tech-
nology in five other manufacturing sites in water stressed are-
as around the world. It is just one of a number of water-saving 
initiatives we have introduced in recent years, allowing us to 
reduce total water withdrawal in absolute terms by almost 
one third in the last decade.

Zero water
A researcher at the 
zero water factory 
in Jalisco, Mexico, 
does a quality check. 
The water resource 
savings at the factory 
are equivalent to the 
volume needed per 
day to fill an Olympic-
size swimming pool.

Safety at top of priority list
In March 2014, we opened the 
Nestlé Food Safety Institute in 
Beijing, China. The new centre has 
three objectives: to collaborate 
with Chinese universities, 
research institutes and regulatory 
authorities in food safety research; 
to increase our ability to assess 
risks, anticipate problems and 
provide accurate information 
in any food safety situations; 
and to engage on scientific 
communication and food safety 
training.

Today our people are carrying out 
170 water-saving projects in Nestlé 
factories, which will save around 
3.6 million cubic metres of water. 

Read about Nestlé’s Commitment on Water Stewardship:
www.nestle.com/csv/water/policy-stewardship

Read the blog of Nestlé’s Chairman:
www.water-challenge.com

33

Nestlé Annual Report 2014OUR BRANDS

3434

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Nestlé Annual Report 2014Nestlé is deeply integrated into 
people’s lives with many buying 
our products on a daily basis.  
This gives us opportunities to 
contribute meaningfully to their 
quality of life. It is what our 
promise of Good Food, Good 
Life is all about: offering the best 
tasting, healthiest choices across a 
wide range of food and beverages, 
from morning to night and 
throughout life, helping people to 
live more enjoyable, healthy lives.

However, today, even brands 
that enjoy a high level of loyalty 
and trust need attention-
grabbing, engaging consumer 
communication to ensure they 
remain relevant to consumers. 
Therefore, excellence in brand-
building discipline and conviction 
about the importance of strong, 
sustainable brand equity is more 
important than ever, especially 
in an increasingly complex and 
crowded digital world.

35

Nestlé Annual Report 201436

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Nestlé Pure Life is the world’s  
top-selling water brand by value and 
our biggest bottled water brand.  
A high-quality brand with an affordable 
price and reliable purity; it is the best  
choice for healthy family hydration. 

N˚1

bottled water brand  
in the world, in value

Present in

41

countries

16

year old brand

56

Nestlé Pure Life production 
sources worldwide 

More than 
1500 glasses drunk every  
second worldwide

Nestlé Pure Life, launched in 1998, is available in 41 countries from 56 production  
sources. It became the first bottled water brand to carry the Nestlé name, strength-
ening our NHW strategy. 

The brand was introduced in Europe in 2000 as Nestlé Aquarel, where it adopted  
a multi-source model. Today, Nestlé Pure Life is available as still and sparkling water  
in a variety of bottle sizes, from bottles that are small enough for a child to hold, to 
bigger sizes for a family, or for an office. 

In  2010,  Nestlé  Pure  Life  became  the  top-selling  bottled  water  in  the  United 
States, where it is the standard bearer for the Drink Better. Live Better. movement 
to promote drinking water as a natural, healthier, low-calorie option for hydration. 
In our healthy hydration communication, we emphasise the needs of families, 
and specifically mothers and caregivers. Water is the best way to hydrate, and we 
want to safeguard healthy habits in future generations. 

37

Nestlé Annual Report 201438

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Nourishing champions for

80

years

Present in

47

countries

32

mio

cups of Nestlé Milo  
consumed every day

11.4

billion servings fortified  
with iron each year

36

6 vitamins and 3 minerals 
in Nestlé Milo Activ-Go

Nestlé Milo, an iconic brand with  
a long and distinguished history, has 
been re-launched in parts of South 
East Asia and Africa with a new visual 
identity and a branded active benefit, 
Activ-Go. It is made from a unique  
malt extract and a combination of  
nine micronutrients (six vitamins and 
three minerals). 

Parents want their children to make the most of their potential. Nestlé Milo, which 
is  mainly  consumed  by  children  aged  7–12,  can  help  to  provide  the  nourishing 
energy  they  need  to  succeed.  Activ-Go  plays  a  role  in  energy  release,  muscle 
function, bone maintenance and red blood cell formation, all essential for physical 
activity. 

The re-launched recipe with Activ-Go was developed by our scientists and intro- 
duced  in  2014  in  Indonesia,  Malaysia  and  Vietnam.  It  will  be  launched  in  other 
Asian, African and Latin American countries this year. 

Nestlé Milo celebrated its 80th birthday in 2014. It was created by Nestlé engi-
neer Thomas Mayne to help children who had poor diets get sufficient nutrition. 
He created Nestlé Milo from malt, milk and cocoa to give children the nutritious 
energy they need to get the best out of their day. It was launched at the Sydney 
Easter Show in 1934.

Nestlé Milo has been a staunch supporter of youth sports throughout its history, 

and has fuelled generations through their formative years. 

39

Nestlé Annual Report 201440

Nestlé Annual Report 2014130

countries where  
Maggi products are sold

250

mio

fortified servings everyday

5.2

billion noodle packs  
sold per year

12 600

tonnes

of salt reduced since 2005

Last year, Maggi created a new 
breakfast option for the Indian  
market, Maggi Oats Noodles, offering 
Nutrition, Health and Wellness  
in a bowl. The noodles are made  
from 51% wholegrain oat flour, fibre 
(equivalent to one bowl of oats), with  
a real vegetable garnish, as well as  
the popular authentic masala taste. 

The successful roll-out of Maggi Oats Noodles demonstrated that healthy eating 
can be both enjoyable and tasty. Strong sales of the new product show that it is also 
good business. Maggi Oats Noodles meet Nestlé Nutritional Foundation criteria, 
which are based on public health recommendations. The consumer communica-
tion reinforces the importance for families to start the day with a well-balanced 
breakfast,  including  fruits  and  milk.  In  2014,  we  continued  to  renovate  Maggi 
products all around the world, reducing salt and fat and improving their nutritional  
benefits. 

The Maggi company began selling powdered soups in Switzerland in 1885.  
Julius Maggi had pioneered the production of pea and bean soups at the request 
of the Swiss Public Welfare Society to address the dietary deficiency of the work-
ing population. The advent of factory work for women meant less time to prepare 
food, and the soups were a convenient and nourishing alternative. 

Maggi entered the Nestlé family in 1947, when the holding company, Alimen-

tana S.A., merged with Nestlé to become Nestlé Alimentana S.A.

41

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Financial review

Group sales (in CHF)

91.6 billion

Organic growth

4.5%

Real internal growth

2.3%

Trading operating profit (in CHF)

Trading operating profit margin

14.0 billion

15.3%
+30 basis points

constant currencies

Earnings per share (in CHF)

Underlying earnings per share

4.54

Operating cash flow (in CHF)

14.7 billion

+4.4%

constant currencies

Free cash flow (in CHF)

14.1 billion

Proposed dividend (in CHF)

Proposed dividend increase

2.20

+2.3%

Outlook
While delivering in the short term, we remain focused on our 
business long term, strengthening the foundations of future 
growth. We expect 2015 to be similar to 2014 and we aim to 
achieve organic growth of around 5% with improvements in 
margins,  underlying  earnings  per  share  in  constant  curren-
cies and capital efficiency.

42

Nestlé Annual Report 2014LEADING POSITIONS IN DYNAMIC CATEGORIES

In millions of CHF 

Powdered and Liquid Beverages

Soluble coffee / coffee systems

Other

Total sales

Trading operating profit

Water

Total sales

Trading operating profit 

Milk products and Ice cream

Milk products

Ice cream

Total sales

Trading operating profit

Nutrition and Health Science (a)

Total sales

Trading operating profit 

Prepared dishes and cooking aids

Frozen and chilled

Culinary and other

Total sales

Trading operating profit 

Confectionery

Chocolate

Sugar confectionery

Biscuits

Total sales

Trading operating profit 

PetCare

Total sales

Trading operating profit 

2013

2014

9 619 

10 876 

20 495 

4 649 

9 328 

10 974 

20 302 

4 685 

6 773 

678 

6 875 

710 

13 010 

4 347 

17 357 

2 632 

12 626 

4 117 

16 743 

2 701 

11 840 

2 228 

13 046 

2 723 

7 782 

6 389 

14 171 

1 876 

7 477 

1 230 

1 576 

10 283 

1 630 

7 302 

6 236 

13 538 

1 808 

7 053 

1 148 

1 568 

9 769 

1 344 

11 239 

2 163 

11 339 

2 246 

(a)  Renamed following the integration of Galderma as from July 2014.

RIG (%)

OG (%)

+4.2%

+5.4%

+6.2%

+5.3%

–1.0%

+3.4%

+5.3%

+8.7%

–1.2%

–0.1%

–0.1%

+4.2%

+5.0%

+5.6%

45.9%

54.1%

100.0%

23.1%

10.3%

75.4%

24.6%

100.0%

16.1%

20.9%

53.9%

46.1%

100.0%

13.4%

72.2%

11.7%

16.1%

100.0%

13.8%

19.8%

43

Nestlé Annual Report 2014BUSINESS REVIEW

Introduction
In  2014  we  delivered  strong  results  in  a  soft  trading  envir-
onment,  building  on  the  good  growth  of  past  years.  They 
demonstrate  the  intrinsic  strengths  of  Nestlé:  the  commit-
ment of our people, our global footprint, the strength of our 
portfolio and the quality of our innovation. While delivering 
in the short term, we remain focused on our business long 
term, strengthening the foundations of future growth. 

Employees by geographic area

Europe (a)

Americas

Asia, Oceania and Africa

Total

(a)   11 177 employees in Switzerland in 2014.

Employees by activity 

In thousands

Factories 

Administration and sales 

Total

2013

2014

28.0% 28.2%

32.5% 32.7%

39.5% 39.1%

100.0% 100.0%

2013

2014

178

155

333

175

164

339

Factories by geographic area 

Nestlé has operations in 197 countries and 442 factories in 86 countries. 
Eight were acquired during the year and 13 divested.

Europe

Americas

Asia, Oceania and Africa

Total

2013

2014

140

164

143

447

136

163

143

442

44

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Principal key figures (a) (illustrative) in CHF, USD, EUR

In millions (except for data per share)

Total CHF

Total CHF

Total USD Total USD

Total EUR

Total EUR

Sales

Trading operating profit

Profit for the period attributable to shareholders of the parent  
(Net profit)

Equity attributable to shareholders of the parent 

Market capitalisation, end December

Data per share

Basic earnings per share

2013

92 158

14 047

10 015

62 575

2014

91 612

14 019

14 456

70 130

2013

99 452

15 159

10 808

70 329

2014

99 961

15 296

15 774

70 863

2013

74 858

11 410

8 135

51 030

2014

75 431

11 543

11 903

58 307

 208 279 

 231 136 

234 087

233 553

169 850

192 170

3.14

4.54

3.39

4.95

2.55

3.74

(a)  Income statement figures translated at weighted average annual rate; Balance sheet figures at year-end rate.

Trading operating profit  

Operating segments: trading operating profit

14 000

14 047

15.2%

14 019

15.2%

15.3%

In % of sales

Zone Europe

Zone Americas

15.0%

Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa

Nestlé Waters

Nestlé Nutrition

14.8%

Other businesses (a)

2013 

2014

(a)   Mainly Nespresso, Nestlé Professional, Nestlé Health Science and  
Nestlé Skin Health (renamed following the integration of Galderma  
as from July 2014).

13 500

13 000

P 
P 

In millions of CHF
In % of sales

15.3 

18.8 

18.7 

9.7 

20.8 

19.1 

45

Nestlé Annual Report 2014 
BUSINESS REVIEW

Group results
In  2014  Nestlé’s  organic  growth  was  4.5%,  composed 
of  2.3%  real  internal  growth  and  2.2%  pricing.  Sales  were 
CHF 91.6 billion, down 0.6%, impacted by negative foreign 
exchange of –5.5%. Acquisitions, net of divestitures, added 
0.4% to sales.

The Group’s trading operating profit was CHF 14.0 billion, 
representing a margin of 15.3%, up 10 basis points, and up 
30  basis  points  in  constant  currencies.  The  cost  of  goods 
sold fell by 30 basis points as a percentage of sales, driven 
by  product  mix  and  pricing  actions  and  savings  created 
by  Nestlé  Continuous  Excellence  which  more  than  offset 
increases  in  raw  material  costs.  Distribution  costs  were  up  
by  10  basis  points.  Total  marketing  and  administration  
expenses rose by 10 basis points as we increased consumer 
facing marketing support for our brands.

Net  profit  rose  CHF  4.4  billion  to  CHF  14.5  billion.  The 
increase  also  reflects  the  profit  realised  on  the  disposal  of 
part  of  the  stake  in  L’Oréal  and  the  revaluation  gain  on  the 
50% of Galderma already held when the Group brought its 
ownership from 50% to 100%. Reported earnings per share 
were CHF 4.54, up 44.6%. Underlying earnings per share in 
constant currencies were up 4.4%.

The  Group’s  operating  cash  flow  remained  strong  at  

CHF  14.7 billion. 

Geographic sales 

as % of total sales

Americas 43%

Geographic sales and organic growth 

OG (%)

6

4

2

Europe 28%

Asia, Oceania and 
Africa 29%

P  Americas +5.4% 
CHF 39.4 billion 

P  Europe +1.9% 
CHF 25.9 billion

P  Asia, Oceania  

and Africa +5.7% 
CHF 26.3 billion

Sales 

25.0 

  30.0 

  35.0 

  40.0 

 CHF billion

Each region includes sales of the Zones, Nestlé Waters, Nestlé Nutrition,  
Nespresso, Nestlé Professional, Nestlé Health Science and Nestlé Skin Health.

46

Nestlé Annual Report 2014 
 
 
Business review
The Nestlé Group’s organic growth was broad-based, 5.4% 
in the Americas, 1.9% in Europe and 5.7% in Asia, Oceania 
and  Africa.  Our  business  in  developed  markets  grew  1.1%, 
achieving  sales  of  CHF  51.4  billion.  Our  emerging  markets 
business grew 8.9%, delivering sales of CHF 40.2 billion. Real 
internal growth was 2.3% in the Americas, 2.4% in  Europe 
and 2.4% in Asia, Oceania and Africa. 

In  2014  we  created  Nestlé  Skin  Health,  complementing 
Nestlé  Health  Science,  further  expanding  our  existing  food 
and  beverage  business  in  line  with  our  strategic  ambition 
to  be  the  world’s  recognised  leading  Nutrition,  Health  and 
Wellness  company.  We  also  established  Nestlé  Business 
Excellence  at  Executive  Board  level,  aggregating  business 
support services. This allows us to better leverage our scale, 
decrease structural costs, increase the quality of support ser-
vices  and  free  up  resources  to  deliver  growth  and  to  allow 
our markets to focus on generating demand.

Sales by geographic areas

Differences 2014/2013 (in %)

By principal markets

United States

Greater China Region

France

Brazil

Germany

United Kingdom

Mexico

Philippines

Italy

Canada

Spain

Russia

Australia

Switzerland

Japan

Rest of the world 

By continent

Europe

United States and Canada

Asia

Latin America and Caribbean

Africa

Oceania

Total

(a)  Not applicable.

in CHF

+0.7%

+0.3%

–1.3%

+0.0%

+0.6%

+5.8%

–6.9%

+3.3%

+0.5%

–5.0%

+0.7%

–6.5%

–8.6%

+3.5%

–5.0%

–1.2%

–0.6%

+0.8%

+1.5%

–5.0%

+0.7%

–7.7%

–0.6%

in local
currency

+1.8%

+1.6%

+0.1%

+10.6%

+2.0%

+1.7%

–1.8%

+9.4%

+1.9%

+2.9%

+2.1%

+13.4%

–0.8%

+3.5%

+4.1%

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

(a)

in CHF 
millions 
2014

 23 489 

 6 638 

 5 507 

 5 117 

 3 340 

 2 987 

 2 960 

 2 489 

 2 108 

 1 962 

 1 856 

 1 731 

 1 622 

 1 566 

 1 491 

 26 749 

 25 903 

 25 601 

 20 801 

 13 836 

 3 421 

 2 050 

 91 612 

47

Nestlé Annual Report 2014BUSINESS REVIEW

Zone Americas
Sales  of  CHF  27.3  billion,  5.0%  organic  growth,  1.1%  real  
internal  growth;  18.8%  trading  operating  profit  margin, 
+60 basis points.

Zone Europe 
Sales  of  CHF  15.2  billion,  1.5%  organic  growth,  2.2%  real  
internal  growth;  15.3%  trading  operating  profit  margin, 
+30 basis points.

The Zone’s organic growth was supported by double-digit 
growth  for  Nescafé  Dolce  Gusto  and  strong  performances 
in ambient dairy and petcare. In North America growth im-
proved  towards  the  end  of  the  year  while  in  Latin  America 
good  growth  was  helped  by  pricing,  reflecting  inflationary 
pressures.   

Our  performance  in  North  America  was  affected  by  the 
frozen  category.  Projects  are  underway  to  reposition  Lean 
Cuisine, Hot Pockets and Stouffers. They address all elements 
of the marketing mix, reflecting trends such as organic and 
ethnic, enhancing the brands’ relevance to consumers. We 
are  taking  the  same  approach  in  frozen  pizza  where  our 
 California Pizza Kitchen did well. In ice cream the super pre-
mium  segment  performed  well  with  Gelato,  and  snacks  re-
turned to growth, although the premium segment was sub-
dued. In confectionery the successful roll-out of Butterfinger 
Peanut Butter Cups continued. Innovations like Natural Bliss 
and seasonal renovations of flavours helped Coffee-mate de-
liver good growth. Innovation also ensured the petcare busi-
ness  in  North  America  continued  to  grow  with  Dog  Chow, 
Pro Plan and Tidy Cats Lightweight cat litter as highlights. The 
launch of Beyond natural pet food gained momentum.

Latin  America  delivered  good  organic  growth  despite  a 
worsening of the macroeconomic situation towards the end 
of the year. Although consumer sentiment varied across the 
region,  most  markets  did  well.  All  Brazil’s  categories  grew, 
with  Ninho  in  growing-up  milks,  KitKat  in  confectionery, 
 Nesfit  in  biscuits  and  Nescau  in  cocoa  and  malt  beverages 
making strong contributions. In Mexico the changes in fiscal 
legislation,  pricing  and  subdued  consumer  demand  affect-
ed  the  market.  Nescafé  Dolce  Gusto  delivered  double-digit 
growth  across  the  region,  while  Dog  Chow  and  Pro  Plan 
drove sales in the petcare business. 

Despite  higher  input  costs  the  Zone’s  trading  operating 
profit margin improved by 60 basis points to 18.8%, reflect-
ing  operational  and  structural  efficiencies  and  lower  other 
trading expenses. 

Relative  to  the  market  this  was  good  growth,  driven  by 
innovation  and  premiumisation.  The  European  trading  en-
vironment  continued  to  be  volatile  and  intense,  with  defla-
tionary  pressure  increasing  during  the  year  and  consumer 
confidence very fragile, reducing the flexibility to price.  

Good  performances  in  France,  Switzerland,  Austria  and 
the Netherlands, and a recovery in Spain and Portugal sup-
ported  the  growth  in  Western  Europe.  The  Great  Britain 
region,  Germany,  Italy  and  Greece  were  more  challenged. 
There were strong performances from petcare and  Nescafé 
Dolce  Gusto  across  Western  Europe  and  we  saw  good 
growth  from  innovations  in  several  categories.  Highlights 
included  Nescafé  Gold  and  Azzera  premium  soluble  coffee, 
Fresh Up and Buitoni Fiesta in frozen pizza, Maggi snacking 
noodles  in  ambient  culinary  and  the  launch  of  premium 
chocolate tablets Les Recettes de l’Atelier in France.

In Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Ukraine drove 
the  growth  in  a  deteriorating  economic  environment.  Pet-
care,  Nescafé  Dolce  Gusto,  soluble  coffee,  particularly  Gold 
Blend,  and  confectionery  with  KitKat  were  the  highlights. 
The ongoing roll-out of Papyrus cooking  papers in ambient 
 culinary also continued to do well.

Petcare  delivered  broad-based  growth  across  the  Zone, 
further strengthening its positions, in particular through the 
premium category with Felix, Purina ONE and Gourmet, and 
our snacks range.

The  Zone’s  trading  operating  profit  margin  was  15.3%, 
up  30  basis  points,  reflecting  our  achievements  in  leverag-
ing our real internal growth and continuous improvement in  
efficiencies.

48

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Zone Americas (a)

In millions of CHF

United States and Canada

Latin America and Caribbean

Powdered and Liquid Beverages

Milk products and Ice cream

Prepared dishes and cooking aids

Confectionery

PetCare

Total sales

2013

16 701 

11 657 

2014

16 396 

10 881 

3 447 

7 939 

5 196 

4 186 

7 590 

3 190 

7 676 

4 745 

3 972 

7 694 

RIG (%)

OG (%)

60.1%

39.9%

11.7%

28.1%

17.4%

14.6%

28.2%

28 358 

27 277 

100.0%

+1.1%

+5.0%

Trading operating profit

Capital expenditure

5 162 

1 019 

5 117 

1 039 

Zone Europe (a)

In millions of CHF

Western

Eastern and Central

Powdered and Liquid Beverages

Milk products and Ice cream

Prepared dishes and cooking aids

Confectionery

PetCare

Total sales

2013

12 722 

2 845 

2014

12 610 

2 565 

4 067 

1 587 

3 879 

3 061 

2 973 

4 027 

1 455 

3 737 

2 915 

3 041 

18.8%

3.8%

83.1%

16.9%

26.6%

9.6%

24.6%

19.2%

20.0%

RIG (%)

OG (%)

15 567 

15 175 

100.0%

+2.2%

+1.5%

Trading operating profit

Capital expenditure

2 331 

964 

2 327 

747 

15.3%

4.9%

(a)  2013 comparatives have been restated following the transfer of responsibility for Nestea RTD businesses in geographic Zones   

to Nestlé Waters effective as from 1 January 2014.

49

Nestlé Annual Report 2014BUSINESS REVIEW

Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa
Sales of CHF 18.3 billion, 2.6% organic growth, –0.3% real  
internal  growth;  18.7%  trading  operating  profit  margin, 
–20 basis points.

Nestlé Waters
Sales  of  CHF  7.4  billion,  5.4%  organic  growth,  6.3%  real  
internal  growth;  9.7%  trading  operating  profit  margin, 
+50 basis points.

Nestlé  Waters  delivered  solid  broad-based  organic  and 
real internal growth in all three geographies. Nestlé Pure Life 
continued to be a growth engine, particularly in the emerging 
markets but also in North America and the United Kingdom. 
Perrier  and  S.Pellegrino,  our  premium  international  brands, 
continued  to  demonstrate  our  ability  to  create  value  in  the 
category. Complementing these performances, strong  local 
brands  also  delivered  good  growth,  especially  Buxton  in 
the United Kingdom, Erikli in Turkey, La Vie in Vietnam and 
 Yunnan Shan Quan in China. 

The trading operating profit margin was 9.7%, up 50 basis 
points,  mainly  driven  by  solid  growth  on  the  back  of  con-
tained structural costs. Lower input costs were partly offset 
by higher distribution costs.

The slower growth in the Zone was due to our largest mar-
ket China and to Oceania. In China we needed to adapt our 
portfolio to reconnect with the fast-changing expectations of 
the  Chinese  consumer.  Therefore,  in  addition  to  correcting 
trade stocks throughout the year, we focused on innovation, 
on  reformulation  and  on  re-launches,  particularly  in  coffee, 
ready-to-drink and confectionery. We continued to see good 
performances  in  ambient  culinary,  ice  cream  and  ready-to-
drink coffee. In Oceania we are focused on developing new 
trade channels.

Strong  growth  continued  in  most  other  emerging  mar-
kets, in particular the Philippines, South Asia, the Indochina 
region,  Turkey  and  many  markets  in  Africa.  We  introduced 
new  premium  noodles  in  Singapore  and  Malaysia.  In  the 
 Philippines the new fortified Bear Brand milk powders were 
well received. Maggi created a new breakfast option for the 
Indian market, Maggi Oats Noodles, and Nestlé Milo Activ-Go 
was launched in parts of South East Asia. It was also rolled 
out  in  Africa,  helping  to  deliver  good  growth  across  the 
 continent.

Strong innovation in products and business models drove 
performance in Japan with the coffee systems Nescafé Dolce 
Gusto and Nescafé Gold Blend Barista doing well and KitKat 
maintaining its growth momentum. 

The  Zone’s  trading  operating  profit  margin  was  18.7%, 
down  20  basis  points,  mainly  due  to  slower  growth,  input 
cost increases and some exceptional items.  

50

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa (a)

In millions of CHF

Oceania and Japan

Other Asian markets

Africa and Middle East

Powdered and Liquid Beverages

Milk products and Ice cream

Prepared dishes and cooking aids

Confectionery

PetCare

Total sales

2013

3 050 

10 274 

5 527 

5 868 

6 814 

2 835 

2 659 

675 

2014

2 802 

9 860 

5 610 

5 733 

6 547 

2 888 

2 500 

604 

RIG (%)

OG (%)

15.3%

54.0%

30.7%

31.4%

35.8%

15.8%

13.7%

3.3%

18 851 

18 272 

100.0%

–0.3%

+2.6%

Trading operating profit

Capital expenditure

3 562 

1 280 

3 408 

697 

Nestlé Waters (a)

In millions of CHF

Europe

United States and Canada

Other regions

Total sales

Trading operating profit

Capital expenditure

2013

2 205 

3 702 

1 350 

7 257 

665 

377 

2014

2 190 

3 780 

1 420 

7 390 

714 

308 

18.7%

3.8%

29.6%

51.2%

19.2%

RIG (%)

OG (%)

100.0%

+6.3%

+5.4%

9.7%

4.2%

(a)  2013 comparatives have been restated following the transfer of responsibility for Nestea RTD businesses in geographic Zones   

to Nestlé Waters effective as from 1 January 2014

51

Nestlé Annual Report 2014BUSINESS REVIEW

Nestlé Nutrition
Sales  of  CHF  9.6  billion,  7.7%  organic  growth,  3.6%  real 
intern al  growth;  20.8%  trading  operating  profit  margin, 
+80 basis points.

Other businesses
Sales  of  CHF  13.9  billion,  7.1%  organic  growth,  5.6%  real 
internal  growth;  19.1%  trading  operating  profit  margin, 
+140 basis points.

Our infant nutrition business saw a very strong perform-
ance  in  many  Asian  markets  including  China.  Growth  was 
double-digit across Asia, despite political unrest in parts of 
the  Middle  East  that  hindered  the  distribution  of  products 
there.  Growth  in  Latin  America  was  solid,  while  in  Europe 
and North America, the environment was more challenging. 
Infant formula’s growth was driven by strong sales of NAN 
and  our  premium  brands  S-26  and  Illuma  which  benefited 
from the roll-out of successful innovation. In baby food, in-
fant cereals saw a steady recovery in the United States and 
Gerber  Organic  fruit  purée  pouches  for  infants,  combining 
good nutrition with convenience, were a highlight for meals 
and drinks. 

We divested our Performance Nutrition business  PowerBar 

during the year.

The trading operating profit margin rose 80 basis points to 
20.8%, despite the impact of higher input costs. The improve-
ment was driven by the effects of portfolio management, the 
good performance in Wyeth Nutrition and efficiencies.

The  growth  for  Nestlé  Professional  was  driven  by  the 
emerging  markets,  particularly  China,  the  Philippines,  the 
Indochina  region,  Middle  East  and  Russia  whilst  Western 
Eur ope and North America continued to face challenges in 
the out-of-home environment. The strategic growth drivers; 
beverage  solutions  and  desserts  solutions,  continued  to 
 perform well.

Nespresso  grew  in  all  regions,  further  expanding  its 
 presence  around  the  world.  The  focus  on  quality  and  in-
vestments  in  products,  machines  and  services  were  the 
base for its strong results. Nespresso continued to drive the 
expansion of the global single-serve coffee market with the 
successful launch of the VertuoLine system in North America 
creating a new premium coffee segment. The roll-out of the 
innovative automated retail boutique, the Nespresso Cube, is 
pioneering  a  new  way  of  shopping  and  a  personalised  ser-
vice for consumers.

Nestlé  Health  Science  continued  to  develop  nutritional 
therapies  that  have  proven  clinical  benefit  and  health  eco-
nomic value. Growth was primarily driven by strong perfor-
mances  in  Europe  and  by  its  increasing  presence  in  China. 
New innovations for Vitaflo in the United Kingdom, the new 
Boost bottle in Canada, and the Meritene range in Europe all 
helped deliver good growth. 

Nestlé  Skin  Health  delivered  double-digit  growth  in  line 
with expectations with strong performances in all geograph-
ies  but  particularly  in  the  Americas  and  Asia.  All  business 
lines  contributed  to  the  growth.  Nestlé  Skin  Health  was 
further  strengthened  by  the  acquisition  of  the  full  rights  to 
commercialise several key aesthetic dermatology products in 
the United States and Canada.

The trading operating profit margin of the Other businesses 
increased by 140 basis points to 19.1%, driven mainly by the 
good performance of all businesses and helped by the excep-
tional contribution during the first six months of  Galderma’s 
integration into Nestlé Skin Health.

52

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Nestlé Nutrition

In millions of CHF

Europe

Americas

Asia, Oceania and Africa

Total sales

Trading operating profit

Capital expenditure

Other businesses (a)

In millions of CHF

Total sales

Trading operating profit

Capital expenditure

2013

1 742 

3 724 

4 360 

9 826 

1 961 

430 

2014

1 655 

3 323 

4 636 

9 614 

1 997 

363 

2013

2014

12 299 

13 884 

2 175 

642 

2 654 

573 

RIG (%)

OG (%)

17.2%

34.6%

48.2%

100.0%

+3.6%

+7.7%

20.8%

3.8%

19.1%

4.1%

RIG (%)

+5.6%

OG (%)

+7.1%

(a)   Mainly Nespresso, Nestlé Professional, Nestlé Health Science and Nestlé Skin Health (renamed following the integration of Galderma as from July 2014).

53

Nestlé Annual Report 2014BUSINESS REVIEW

Net profit and earnings per share
Net profit rose CHF 4.4 billion to CHF 14.5 billion. The increase 
includes the profit realised on the disposal of part of the stake 
in L’Oréal and the revaluation gain on the 50% of Galderma 
already  held  when  the  Group  brought  its  ownership  from 
50%  to  100%.  As  a  consequence,  reported  earnings  per 
share  were  CHF  4.54,  up  44.6%.  Underlying  earnings  per 
share were up 4.4% in constant currencies. The underlying 
tax rate was 27.1%, relatively flat compared to 27.0% in 2013. 

Cash flow
The Group’s operating cash flow was CHF 14.7 billion com-
pared to CHF 15.0 billion in 2013, and was again affected by 
the strength of the Swiss Franc in a challenging foreign ex-
change  environment.  The  Group’s  free  cash  flow  remained 
strong at CHF 14.1 billion. While this figure includes the pro-
ceeds from the partial disposal of the L’Oréal stake, it is also 
a reflection of our ongoing focus on capital discipline, includ-
ing all elements of working capital, capital expenditure and  
a continuous focus on efficiencies and profitable growth.

Financial position
The Group’s net debt fell from CHF 14.7 billion to CHF 12.3 bil-
lion  reflecting  our  strong  free  cash  flow  during  the  year  
at CHF 14.1 billion more than offsetting the payment of the 
dividend of CHF 6.9 billion and the initial phase of the current 
share buy-back programme.

110.0%

107.5%

105.0%

102.5%

100.0%

97.5%

95.0%

Evolution of the Nestlé S.A. share in 2014

In CHF

72.50

70.00

67.50

65.00

62.50

.00

40

| 

| 

| 

| 

| 

| 

| 

| 

| 

| 

| 

|

J 

F  M  A  M 

J 

J 

A 

S  O  N  D

P  Nestlé S.A. share
P  Nestlé relative to Swiss Market Index

Dividend per share

In CHF

2.20

2.15

2.05

Return on invested capital
The Group’s return on invested capital was 10.8% including 
goodwill,  impacted  partially  by  the  integration  of  Galderma 
and it was 30.4% excluding goodwill, up 30 basis points. 

1.95

1.85

Dividend
The Board of Directors is proposing a dividend of CHF 2.20 
per share, up from CHF 2.15 in 2013. 

Outlook
While delivering in the short term, we remain focused on our 
business long term, strengthening the foundations of future 
growth.  We  expect  2015  to  be  similar  to  2014  and  we  aim 
to achieve organic growth of around 5% with improvements 
in  margins,  underlying  earnings  per  share  in  constant  cur-
rencies and capital efficiency.

54

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014

Nestlé Annual Report 2014 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

Group Risk Management
The  Nestlé  Group  Enterprise  Risk  Management  Framework 
(ERM)  is  designed  to  identify,  communicate,  and  mitigate 
risks in order to minimise their potential impact on the Group. 
Nestlé  has  adopted  a  dual  approach  in  identifying  and  as-
sessing risks. A top-down assessment is performed at Group 
level once a year to create a good understanding of the com-
pany’s  mega-risks,  to  allocate  ownership  to  drive  specific 
actions around them and take any relevant steps to address 
them.  A  bottom-up  assessment  occurs  in  parallel  annually 
and  focuses  on  the  global  risk  portfolio  in  the  businesses/
corporate functions. It involves the aggregation of individual 
assessments  by  the  Zones,  Globally  Managed  Businesses 
and  all  markets.  It  is  intended  to  provide  a  high-level  risk 
mapping and allows Group Management to make sound de-
cisions on the future operations of the company and ensure 
that any risk growing in importance within the organisation 
is captured and addressed in Nestlé’s ERM agenda. In 2014, 
a total of 42 risk assessments were performed and updated.
An annual compliance risk assessment is performed in the  
Group  Compliance  Committee.  Risk  assessments  are  the 
responsibility  of  line  management;  this  applies  equally  to  a 
business, a market or a function, and any mitigating actions 
identified  in  the  assessments  are  the  responsibility  of  the 
individual line management. If Group-level intervention is re-
quired, responsibility for mitigating actions will generally be  
determined by the Executive Board. The results of the Group 
ERM are presented annually to the Executive Board and to the 
Audit Committee, and conclusions reported to the Board of 
Directors. Nestlé uses the outcome of stakeholder meetings  
to  better  understand  potential  gaps  between  internal  and 
external perception of risks and their impact on reputation.

Factors affecting results
Nestlé’s reputation is based on consumers’ trust. Any major 
event triggered by a serious food safety or other compliance 
issue could have a negative effect on Nestlé’s reputation or 
brand  image.  The  Group  has  policies,  processes,  controls 
and  regular  monitoring  (dedicated  dashboard  with  relevant 
KPIs) in place to prevent such events. 

The success of the Nestlé Group depends on its ability to 
anticipate  consumer  preferences  and  to  offer  high-quality, 
appealing products. The Group’s business is subject to some 
seasonality, and adverse weather conditions may impact sales.
The food industry as a whole is faced with the global chal-
lenge of increasing obesity. The Group makes all its products 
available in a range of sizes and varieties designed to meet all 
needs and all occasions.

Nestlé is dependent on the sustainable supply of a number 
of  raw  materials,  packaging  materials  and  services/utilities. 
Any major event triggered by natural hazards (drought, flood, 
etc.),  change  in  macroeconomic  environment  (shift  in  pro-
duction patterns, biofuels, excessive trading, etc.), resulting 
in  input  price  volatilities  and/or  capacity  constraints,  could 
potentially  impact  Nestlé’s  financial  results.  The  Group  has 
policies, processes, controls and regular monitoring in place 
to  (if  ever  possible)  anticipate  such  events  and  adequately 
mitigate against them. 

Nestlé manages risks and opportunities related to climate 
change proactively given the impact it may have on agricul-
ture and food production systems.

The Group’s liquidities/liabilities (currency fluctuation, inter - 
est  rate,  derivatives,  and/or  hedging,  pension  funding  obli-
gations/retirement benefits, banking/commercial credit, and 
cost of capital, etc.) could be impacted by any major event in 
the financial markets. Again, Nestlé has the appropriate risk 
mitigation measures in place.

Nestlé is dependent on sustainable manufacturing/supply 
of finished goods for all product categories. A major event in 
one of Nestlé’s key plants, at a key supplier, contract manu-
facturer,  co-packer,  and/or  warehouse  facility  could  poten-
tially lead to a supply disruption and impact Nestlé’s financial 
results. Business continuity plans are established and regu-
larly maintained in order to mitigate against such an event.

The  Group  depends  on  accurate,  timely  information  and 
numerical data from key software applications, without dis-
ruption, to enable day-to-day decision making. 

The  Group  is  subject  to  environmental  regimes  applying 
in  all  countries  where  it  operates  and  has  put  controls  in 
place  to  comply  with  legislation  concerning  the  protection 

55

Nestlé Annual Report 2014GEOGRAPHIC DATA: FACTORIES

Americas

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Guatemala

Jamaica

Mexico

Nicaragua

Panama

Peru

Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Uruguay

Venezuela

7

1

23

11

7

4

1

3

2

2

3

1

11

1

1

1

1

77

1

5

P L P L P L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L P L

L

P L P L P L P L P L P L P L

P L P L P L P L P L P L P L

P L

P L

L P L P L P L P L

L

L P L

L P L P L P L

L

L

L P L

L P L P L

L

L

L

L

L P L

L P L

L

L

L

P L

P L

P L

L P L

L P L P L

L

L

L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

P L P L P L P L P L P L P L

P L

L P L

L

L

L

L P L

L P L

L

L

P L

P L

L P L P L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

P L P L P L P L P L P L P L

P L

P L

L

L

L P L

L

L

L P L P L P L P L P L

of  the  environment,  including  the  use  of  natural  resources, 
release of air emissions and waste water, and the generation, 
storage, handling, transportation, treatment and disposal of 
waste materials.

Nestlé is subject to health and safety regimes in all coun-
tries where it operates and has procedures in place to com-
ply  with  legislation  concerning  the  protection  of  the  health 
and welfare of employees and contractors.

Our Group companies are party to a variety of legal pro-
ceedings arising out of the normal course of business. The 
relevant companies believe that there are valid defences for 
the claims, and such companies intend to defend any such 
litigation.

Nestlé  has  factories  in  86  countries  and  operations  in 
197 countries around the world. Security, political instability, 
legal  and  regulatory,  fiscal,  macroeconomic,  foreign  trade, 
labour  and/or  infrastructure  risks  could  potentially  impact 
Nestlé’s ability to do business in a country or region.

Events  such  as  infectious  disease  could  also  impact  the 
Group’s  ability  to  operate.  Any  of  these  events  could  lead 
to a supply disruption and impact Nestlé’s financial results. 
Regular monitoring and ad hoc business continuity plans are  
established in order to mitigate against such events.

One  of  the  most  valuable  assets  of  Nestlé  is  the  Group-
wide  geographical  and  product  category  spreads,  which 
represent a tremendous natural hedge.

The figure in black after the country 
denotes the number of factories.
P  Local production (may represent 
production in several factories).
Imports (may, in a few particular 
cases, represent purchases  
from third parties in the market 
concerned).

L 

P  Powdered and Liquid Beverages 
P  Water
P  Milk products and Ice cream
P  Nutrition and Health Science
P  Prepared dishes and cooking aids
P  Confectionery
P  PetCare

56

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Europe

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Republic of Serbia

Romania

Russia

Slovak Republic

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

1

1

2

3

1

3

23

18

3

3

1

15

1

7

3

2

1

8

1

12

2

11

2

3

9

P L

L P L

L  P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L P L

L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L P L P L P L

P L P L P L  P L P L

L P L

P L P L P L P L P L P L P L

P L P L P L

P L P L

L 

L

L

L

L

L

L P L P L

L

L P L P L

L

L

L

P L P L P L

L P L P L P L

L

L P L P L

L

L

P L P L P L

L P L P L

P L

L P L P L

L

L

L

L P L

L P L P L

P L

L

L

L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

P L P L P L P L P L P L P L

L

L

L

L P L

L

L

P L P L P L P L P L P L P L

P L

L

L P L

L

L

P L P L P L P L P L P L

P L P L P L

L P

P L

P L

L

L

L P L P L

L

L

L

L

P L P L P L P L

L P L P L

Asia, Oceania and Africa

Algeria

Angola

Australia

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Cameroon

Côte d’Ivoire

Democratic Republic 
of Congo (DRC)

Egypt

Ghana

2

1

9

1

1

1

2

1

3

1

P L P L P L

L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

P L

L P L P L P L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

P L

P L

P L

P L P L P L P

L P L

L P L

P L

L P

L

L

L

L P L

P L P L P L P L P

P L

P L

L P L P L

L

L

Greater China Region

29

P L P L P L P L P L P L P L

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq 

Israel

Japan

Jordan

Kenya

Lebanon

Malaysia

Morocco

New Zealand

Nigeria

Pakistan

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Qatar

Republic of Korea

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Singapore

South Africa

Sri Lanka

Syria

Thailand

Tunisia

United Arab Emirates

Uzbekistan

Vietnam

Zimbabwe

7

4

2

1

9

3

1

1

2

6

1

2

2

4

1

6

1

1

7

1

2

8

1

1

7

1

2

2

5

1

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

P L

P L

L P L P L P

P L

L P L P L P L P L

L P

P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

P L

P L

L P L P L P

P L

L P L

L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

P L

L P L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

P L

P L

P L

L P L P L P L P L

L P L P L P L

L

L P L

L P L P L P L

P L P

P L P L P L P

P L P

P L P L

P L

P L

P L

P L

L P L

L P L P L P L

L P L

L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L P L

L P L P L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L P L P L P L P L P L

P L P L P

L

L

L

L

L

P L

P L

P L

L

P L P L P L

L P L

L P L

P L

P L

L

L

P L P L P L

L P L P L

L

L P

P L P L

L

P L P L P L

L P L

P L

L P L P L P L

L

L

57

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Corporate Governance  
and Compliance

58

Nestlé Annual Report 2014CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

For  our  company  to  be  successful  over  the  long  term  and 
create value for shareholders, it must create value for society. 
Our approach to Creating Shared Value is built upon a set of 
strong principles and values set by the Board of Directors. 

In our governance, our Board of Directors plays a central 
role,  among  other  things,  for  our  long-term  strategy;  com-
pany  values,  culture  and  ‘tone  at  the  top’;  the  oversight  of 
management and long-term performance; financial planning 
and audit process; risk oversight, compliance and integrity; 
compensation  and  performance  goals;  director  nomination 
and  evaluation;  succession  planning;  and  our  engagement 
with shareholders and other stakeholders.

In this report, we give examples of our key strategies, crit-
ical developments in 2014 and an outlook on the future. We 
aim to give insights into our strategy, factors that affect our 
ability to create value over time and our relationship with key 
stakeholders.

Our  Nestlé  in  society  report  includes  both  our  financial 
and  nonfinancial  commitments  in  line  with  the  UN  Global 
Compact  and  the  Global  Reporting  Initiative.  It  reflects  our 
continuous journey towards integrated reporting.

Our  Corporate  Governance  Report  describes  how  our 
governance ensures the effectiveness of our Board. In 2014, 
we were an early adopter of new Swiss governance require-
ments; the related revision of our Articles of Association was 
adopted by a strong majority of our shareholders. 

Our  Compensation  Report  explains  our  compensation 
system and pay-outs and is submitted annually to a separate 
advisory vote of our shareholders. In 2015, we will for the first 
time submit the compensation of our Board of Directors and 
Executive Board for approval by our shareholders.

We regularly review our governance against legal require-
ments and best practices. We lead an intensive dialogue with 
investors through our periodic reports, roadshows, investor 
meetings, shareholder surveys, analyst and engagement calls,  
Chairman’s  Roundtables  and  bilateral  meetings  with  share-
holders.  Our  engagement  follows  a  holistic  approach  that 
manages both their financial and governance expectations.

Distribution of share capital by geography (a)

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Others 

France 

China 

Canada 

Japan 

Luxembourg 

Belgium 

Germany 

8.83%

1.91%

2.04%

2.13%

2.33%

3.00%

3.49%

4.51%

United Kingdom 

6.17%

United States 

28.53%

Switzerland 

35.28%

2010 

2012 

2014

Share capital by investor type, long-term evolution (a)

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Institutions 79%

Private
Shareholders 21%

1998 

2002 

2006 

2010 

2014

(a)  Percentage derived from total number of registered shares. Registered  
shares represent 57.1% of the total share capital. Statistics are rounded,  
as at 31.12.2014.

59

Nestlé Annual Report 2014 
 
 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF NESTLÉ S.A.

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe

Paul Bulcke

Andreas Koopmann

Helmut O. Maucher 
Honorary Chairman

David P. Frick 
Secretary to the Board

KPMG SA Geneva branch (1) 
Independent auditors 

(1)   Term expires on the date of the 

Annual General Meeting 2015.

(2)   Chairman’s and Corporate  
Governance Committee.
(3)   Compensation Committee.
(4)   Nomination Committee.
(5)   Audit Committee. 

60

Board of Directors of Nestlé S.A.  
at 31 December 2014

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe (1, 2, 4) 
Chairman 
Paul Bulcke (1, 2) 
Chief Executive Officer 
Andreas Koopmann (1, 2, 3, 4) 
1st Vice Chairman 
Chairman, Georg Fischer AG 
Rolf Hänggi (1, 2, 5) 
2nd Vice Chairman 
Former Chairman, Rüd,  
Blass & Cie AG 
Beat Hess (1, 2) 
Former Group Legal Director,  
Royal Dutch Shell plc. 
Daniel Borel (1, 3)
Co-founder and Board member, 
Logitech International S.A. 
Steven G. Hoch (1, 4)
Founder and CEO,  
Highmount Capital 
Naïna Lal Kidwai (1, 5) 
Chairperson, HSBC  
Group of Companies in India 
Titia de Lange (1) 
Associate Director,  
Anderson Cancer Center,  
The Rockefeller University
Jean-Pierre Roth (1, 3) 
Chairman, Geneva Cantonal Bank 
Ann M. Veneman (1, 4) 
Former Executive Director,  
UNICEF, and Secretary, U.S.  
Department of Agriculture 
Henri de Castries (1, 5) 
Chairman and CEO, AXA 
Eva Cheng (1, 5) 
Former Corporate Executive  
Vice President and Chairwoman, 
Amway China

Nestlé Annual Report 2014Rolf Hänggi

Beat Hess

Daniel Borel

Steven G. Hoch

Naïna Lal Kidwai

Titia de Lange

Jean-Pierre Roth

Ann M. Veneman

Henri de Castries

Eva Cheng

For further information on the 
Board of Directors, please refer  
to the Corporate Governance 
Report 2014.

61

Nestlé Annual Report 2014EXECUTIVE BOARD OF NESTLÉ S.A.

12

10

14

9

5

7

13

4

11

2

6

8

1

3

For further information on the 
Executive Board, please refer  
to the Corporate Governance 
Report 2014.

62

Nestlé Annual Report 2014COMPLIANCE

Compliance  at  Nestlé  means  we  will  not  sacrifice  our  prin-
ciples and values for short-term success. We follow applic-
able laws and our own commitments across the ten Corporate 
Business  Principles,  including  our  commitments  to  integrity 
in  the  Code  of  Business  Conduct,  to  maintain  sustainable 
trust with employees, shareholders and other stakeholders. 
While compliance is a leadership responsibility, line man-
agement  is  supported  by  all  functions  engaged  in  our  risk- 
and  principles-based  compliance  programme.  A  dedicated 
Corporate Compliance function and a cross-functional Com-
pliance  Committee  define  the  framework,  facilitate  coord-
ination and provide guidance and best practices. Under our 
custodian concept, our Market Heads play a critical role for 
compliance.  Market  Compliance  Officers  and  committees 
ensure a consistent approach and help identify local compli-
ance priorities. 

Executive Board of Nestlé S.A.
at 31 December 2014

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

 Paul Bulcke  
Chief Executive Officer

 Luis Cantarell  
EVP, Europe, Middle East, 
North Africa
 José Lopez  
EVP, Operations 
 Laurent Freixe  
EVP, United States of America, 
Canada, Latin America, 
Caribbean
 Chris Johnson  
EVP, Nestlé Business 
Excellence
 Patrice Bula  
EVP, Strategic Business Units, 
Marketing and Sales
 Doreswamy (Nandu) 
Nandkishore  
EVP, Asia, Oceania, Africa
 Wan Ling Martello  
EVP, Chief Financial Officer 
(includes Legal, Intellectual 
Property, Tax, Treasury)

9 

 Stefan Catsicas  
EVP, Innovation Technology, 
Research and Development

10   Marco Settembri  
EVP, Nestlé Waters

11   Peter Vogt  

Deputy EVP, Human 
Resources

12   Martial Rolland  

Deputy EVP, Nestlé 
Professional
13   Heiko Schipper  

Deputy EVP, Nestlé Nutrition

14   David P. Frick  

SVP, Corporate Governance, 
Compliance and Corporate 
Services 

Yves Philippe Bloch  
Corporate Secretary

EVP: Executive Vice President
SVP: Senior Vice President

The  right  tone  at  the  top  is  reflected  in  our  Corporate 
Business  Principles,  our  Management  and  Leadership  Prin-
ciples, our Code of Business Conduct and our Supplier Code. 
Awareness campaigns and regular risk assessments help us 
in  their  continuous  implementation.  Proper  consequence 
management  is  reinforced  by  our  performance  evaluation 
system, which includes an assessment of “how” goals were 
accomplished. 

We monitor compliance through our corporate functions, 
internal and external audit, as well as our CARE programme 
relying  on  independent  external  auditors.  120  audits  were 
conducted in 2014 and gaps addressed.

In  2014,  we  addressed  920  complaints  from  employees 
through our integrity reporting system, which complements 
our  ombudsman  system  for  WHO  Code  compliance.  Our 
new Tell Us reporting system allowed us to address 87 com-
plaints from suppliers and other third parties. All complaints 
are investigated and remedial action taken.

Our WHO Code compliance programme covers all Nestlé 
operations involved in the marketing of infant nutrition prod-
ucts. We adhere to the decisions of all governments regard-
ing the application of the WHO Code in their countries and 
voluntarily apply the WHO Code in all developing countries. 
Our  continued  inclusion  in  the  FTSE4Good  index  is  a  testi-
mony to our commitment.

Our  Human  Rights  compliance  programme  is  based  on 
the applicable UN Framework and includes risk and impact 
assessments  perfomed  together  with  the  Danish  Institute  
for  Human  Rights,  training,  monitoring  and  stakeholder  
engagement.

We  continuously  reinforce  our  compliance  programme 
based  on  selected  focus  areas.  In  2014,  they  included  our 
enhanced  anti-bribery  programme;  improved  efficiency  of 
processes  and  tools;  the  launch  of  ‘Tell  us’;  renovated  and 
re-launched  trainings;  improved  transparency;  and  a  focus 
on new regulations.

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Nestlé Annual Report 2014 
 
Important dates
16 April 2015
148th Annual General Meeting, Beaulieu Lausanne, 
Lausanne (Switzerland)

17 April 2015
2015 First quarter sales figures

17 April 2015
Last trading day with entitlement to dividend

20 April 2015
Ex-dividend date

22 April 2015
Payment of the dividend

13 August 2015
2015 Half-yearly Results

16 October 2015
2015 Nine months sales figures

18 February 2016
2015 Full Year Results

7 April 2016
149th Annual General Meeting, Beaulieu Lausanne, 
Lausanne (Switzerland)

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

Stock exchange listing
At 31 December 2014, Nestlé S.A. shares are listed  
on the SIX Swiss Exchange, Zurich (ISIN code: 
CH0038863350). 
American Depositary Receipts (ISIN code: US6410694060) 
representing Nestlé S.A. shares are offered in the USA by 
Citibank, N.A., New York.

Registered Offices
Nestlé S.A.
Avenue Nestlé 55
CH-1800 Vevey (Switzerland)
tel. +41 (0)21 924 21 11

Nestlé S.A. (Share Transfer Office)
Zugerstrasse 8
CH-6330 Cham (Switzerland)
tel. +41 (0)41 785 20 20

For additional information, contact:  
Nestlé S.A.  
Investor Relations
Avenue Nestlé 55 
CH-1800 Vevey (Switzerland)
tel. +41 (0)21 924 35 09
fax +41 (0)21 924 28 13
e-mail: ir@nestle.com

As to information concerning the share register 
(registrations, transfers, dividends, etc.), please contact:
Nestlé S.A. (Share Transfer Office)
Zugerstrasse 8 
CH-6330 Cham (Switzerland)
tel. +41 (0)41 785 20 20
fax +41 (0)41 785 20 24
e-mail: shareregister@nestle.com

The Annual Report, and its accompanying reports are 
available online as a PDF in English, French and German.  
The consolidated income statement, balance sheet and  
cash flow statement are also available as Excel files.

www.nestle.com

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Nestlé Annual Report 2014