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Nestlé

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FY2018 Annual Report · Nestlé
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Good Food, Good Life

Annual Review 2018

Nestlé. 
Enhancing quality of life 
and contributing 
to a healthier future.

 
 
 
 
Our purpose

Nestlé. Enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.

We are dedicated to 
advancing nutrition, health, 
and wellness in a way that is 
sustainable and responsible. 
Through our portfolio of 
products and services, 
we offer people and their 
pets, tastier, healthier and 
convenient choices for  
all life stages and all times  
of the day.

Front cover

Contents

Accompanying reports

Milo: Energy with purpose
Milo is an integral part of Nestlé’s 
efforts to promote healthier lifestyles 
by encouraging sports and healthy 
eating habits amongst kids.  
Each year the brand supports 
grassroots programs, working with 
different partners to make a positive 
difference in the lives of more than 
22 million children.

2 

6 

Letter to our shareholders

Pursuing our value-creating 
strategy

  10 

Innovating for a changing world

  14 

Connecting through our brands

  30 

Creating Shared Value

  42 

Financial review

  57 

Corporate Governance and 
Compliance 

  65 

Shareholder information

Corporate Governance Report 2018
Compensation Report 2018
Financial Statements 2018

Online

You can find more information
about the Nestlé Group at 
www.nestle.com

Find out more about Creating Shared 
Value at www.nestle.com/csv

 
 
 
 
 
 
Our performance

Our performance is driven by our Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy, 
the engine of our value creation model.

Our 2018 organic sales 
growth was 3.0%. Our 
cost-reduction initiatives 
delivered 50 bps margin 
improvement, ahead  
of expectations.

Group sales (in CHF)

Organic growth *

Real internal growth *

91.4 billion

3.0%

2.5%

Underlying trading 
operating profit * (in CHF)

Underlying trading 
operating profit margin *

Underlying trading 
operating profit margin *

15.5 billion

17.0%

+50 basis points

Constant currency

Constant currency

Trading operating  
profit * (in CHF)

Trading operating  
profit margin *

Trading operating  
profit margin *

13.8 billion

15.1%

+30 basis points

Constant currency

Earnings per share 
(in CHF)

Earnings per share

Underlying earnings  
per share *

3.36

+45.5%

+13.9%

Constant currency

Operating cash flow 
(in CHF)

Free cash flow * 
(in CHF)

15.4 billion

10.8 billion

50.8% of net financial debt

Proposed dividend 
(in CHF)

Proposed dividend 
increase

2.45

+4.3%

1

  Performance evolution is based 

on 2017 restated figures  
as described in the Foreword  
on page 44.

* Financial performance 

measures not defined by IFRS. 
For further details see Financial 
review on page 44.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Our business

For over 150 years, Nestlé has been producing food and beverages 
that enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future.

Nestlé is the world’s 
largest food and beverages 
company. We are a global 
company, combining 
global strategies with local 
engagement. Our success is 
built on trust, innovation and 
relevance. Across each of our 
categories, we earn our place 
in people’s lives through our 
brands and dedication to 
improving nutrition, health 
and wellness. We win the 
right to stay there by offering 
life-enhancing products,  
services and experiences.  
We focus on capturing  
premiumization opportunities,  
offering affordable, 
high-quality nutrition and 
adding value to our brands 
and products through 
meaningful differentiation 
and innovation.

What we sell (in CHF billion)

Powdered and 
Liquid Beverages

Nutrition and 
Health Science

Milk products 
and Ice cream

PetCare

21.6

16.2

13.2

12.8

Prepared dishes and 
cooking aids

Confectionery

Water

12.1

8.1

7.4

Where we sell (in CHF billion)

EMENA

26.9

AOA

23.5

AMS

41.0

Number of employees

Number of countries we sell in

308 000

190

Total group salaries and social 
welfare expenses (in CHF)

Corporate taxes paid in 2018 
(in CHF)

16 billion

3.6 billion

Our commitments

Our 36 commitments featured in the Creating Shared Value chapter 
guide our collective efforts to meet specific objectives.

Every day, we touch the lives 
of billions of people: from 
the farmers who grow our 
ingredients and the families 
who enjoy our products, 
through the communities 
where we live and work, 
to the natural environment 
upon which we all depend.

For individuals and families

Over 1300

new products were launched in 2018 
addressing specific nutritional needs  
and gaps of babies, children, expecting 
women or new mothers

13.2%

decrease in artificial colors

106 million

children and families reached  
with fortified foods and beverages

170 million

portions of vegetables added  
to our foods and beverages

For our communities

181.8 million

coffee plantlets distributed (cumulative  
since 2010) to farmers, against a target  
of 220 million by 2020

63%

of the volume of our 14 priority  
categories of raw materials  
are responsibly sourced

For the planet

Over 26 000

job opportunities, traineeships or 
apprenticeships were offered to  
people under the age of 30 through  
our Nestlé needs YOUth initiative

440 000

farmers trained through  
capacity-building programs

2.6%

293

decrease in indirect greenhouse gas 
emissions per tonne of product

factories achieved zero waste  
for disposal

29.6%

reduction in direct water withdrawals  
per tonne of product across every  
category since 2010

34%

of our electricity comes from  
renewable sources

Dear fellow shareholders,

For more than 150 years, Nestlé has consistently delivered sustainable, 
industry‑leading results by offering healthy, delicious, convenient food and 
beverage products and services. In a rapidly‑changing environment, the  
key to our success has been our ability to balance continuity with change.  
It has required discipline and decisive actions to build sustainable value for the 
long term. We continue on our Nutrition, Health and Wellness journey, while 
we stay true to our purpose and values. We change by adapting our portfolio 
to meet evolving consumer demands, pushing the boundaries of science, 
accelerating innovation, as well as driving greater agility and efficiencies. Our 
people are embracing these changes with passion and dedication. This gives  
us confidence that Nestlé is well positioned for the future.

On track to meet our 2020 goals
Our value creation model is based on a balance 
of top-line growth and bottom-line performance, 
as well as improved capital efficiency. We plan to 
reach mid single-digit organic growth by 2020. 
We also aim to increase our underlying trading 
operating profit margin to between 17.5% and 
18.5% (from 16.0% in 2016). Our 2018 results 
demonstrate that we are on track to meet  
these targets:
 – Organic growth was 3.0%, with continued 

strong real internal growth (RIG) of 2.5% and 
pricing of 0.5%. Growth was supported by 
stronger momentum in the United States  
and China, as well as in infant nutrition.
 – Total reported sales increased by 2.1%  

to CHF 91.4 billion (2017: CHF 89.6 billion).  
Net acquisitions had a positive impact  
of 0.7% and foreign exchange reduced  
sales by 1.6%.

 – Underlying trading operating profit (UTOP) 

margin reached 17.0%, up of 50 basis points. 
Trading operating profit (TOP) margin increased 
by 30 basis points to 15.1%, reflecting higher 
restructuring- related expenses.

Based on these results, the Board of Directors 
has proposed a 24th consecutive increase of the 
yearly dividend to CHF 2.45, to be paid in 2019.

Sharpening our strategic focus
During 2018, our Board reaffirmed the Nutrition, 
Health and Wellness strategy and took decisive 

2

steps to sharpen our strategic focus on food, 
beverages and nutritional health products. 
Consistent with this, we continued to invest in 
advancing the high-growth categories of coffee, 
petcare, nutrition, water, as well as Nestlé Health 
Science. We manage the other categories for a 
balance of growth and value. Due to changing 
industry dynamics and following detailed 
analysis, the Board determined that future 
growth opportunities for Nestlé Skin Health lie 
increasingly outside the Group’s strategic scope. 
It therefore decided to explore strategic options 
for Nestlé Skin Health in the best long-term 
interest of this business and Nestlé shareholders. 
The review is expected to be completed by  
mid-2019.

We further accelerated our portfolio 
management through targeted acquisitions 
that come with high growth potential, deliver 
attractive returns and build on our leadership 
positions. We acquired the perpetual global 
license of Starbucks consumer packaged goods 
and foodservice products. With Starbucks, 
Nescafé and Nespresso we have brought together 
the world’s most iconic coffee brands. We 
acquired Atrium Innovations, a global leader in 
natural, non-GMO vitamins and supplements. In 
addition, we completed the divestiture of our U.S. 
confectionery business, where our low market 
share constrained our ability to win in that market. 
We also completed the sale of the Gerber Life 
Insurance, which was non-core to our business.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Paul Bulcke, Chairman (left), 
and U. Mark Schneider, 
Chief Executive Officer (right)

“We are executing on our Nutrition, Health and 
Wellness strategy and creating sustained value 
for shareholders and society over the short  
and long term.”

3

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Letter to our shareholders

Accelerating growth through innovation  
in a fast-changing environment
In 2018, we delivered improved revenue growth 
and profitability. We achieved this in the 
context of a volatile economic environment and 
significant disruption in both our industry and the 
retail sector.

Consumer tastes, preferences and 

expectations are changing at an unprecedented 
rate. Trends towards more natural and organic 
foods, plant-based proteins, as well as simpler 
and healthier ingredients, are redefining the 
pace at which we need to innovate. Our growth 
was supported by disciplined execution and 
short innovation cycles. In order to launch new 
products quickly, we use rapid prototyping  
and leverage our industry-leading R&D network  
for quick in-market testing. Examples of  
fast product innovation include KitKat Ruby,  
the Yes! snack bar, Perrier & Juice, and  
Garden Gourmet, an authentic vegan meat 
analogue offering.

Moreover, the rise of digital and online 
shopping is fundamentally changing the retail 
industry. We are embracing the opportunities 
offered by the digital transformation across 
marketing, social media and e-commerce. In 
doing so, we are delivering more personalized 
products, messages and services directly to 
our consumers. In 2018, our e-commerce sales 
grew organically by +18% (+25% excluding 
Nespresso) and reached 7.4% of total Nestlé 
sales. There were also strong contributions 
from other fast-growing channels, such as 
Direct-to-Consumer, Convenience, Club,  
Value, Natural, Specialty stores, as well as 
Out-of-Home. We are constantly adapting  
our business models to wherever people look  
for our brands and products.

Our consumers do not just care about what 
they eat, but they also care about how products 
are made and their impact on the environment 
and society. We have placed packaging and 
plastics at the top of our agenda by announcing 
our goal to make 100% of our packaging 
recyclable or reusable by 2025. We are also 
pursuing collective action at an industry level  
in collaboration with our retail partners  
and governments.

4

As we look to 2019, we see that input costs  
are rising, particularly in energy, distribution and  
packaging. As parts of the world are beginning  
to see reinflation, notably emerging markets  
and the United States, the strength of our brands  
and our ability to differentiate and innovate will  
continue to be key to our success.

Improving operational efficiency
To fuel our growth and improve returns, we  
have intensified our drive to find operational  
efficiencies and reduce structural costs. This  
reflects our belief that consumers should not  
pay for our inefficiencies. We have made good  
progress on our significant cost-reduction  
programs across the areas of administration,  
procurement and manufacturing.

We continued to strengthen our business  

focus through simplified and standardized  
processes. We increased the penetration of our  
shared service centers from 17% to 35%, and are 
on track to reach 50% by 2020. In procurement,  
we realized significant savings by leveraging our 
size and scale through three global purchasing  
hubs. We now source 55% of our requirements  
through these hubs and this will reach 60%  
by 2020. In manufacturing we have further  
simplified our factory footprint and increased  
capacity utilization.

The savings that we have generated so far  

have made a significant contribution to the  
improvement in our underlying trading operating  
profit margin. In 2018, it increased by 50 basis  
points to 17.0%.

We also continued to deliver efficiencies in the  

area of R&D and marketing. The primary focus  
of these efficiencies is to free up resources to  
reinvest in growth opportunities and innovation.
We continue to simplify our organizational  

structure to speed up decision-making and  
responsiveness to new consumer trends. In  
2018, infant nutrition successfully moved from a  
globally-managed to a regionally-managed business 
reported within the three Zones. Zone EMENA also 
continued its transformation to a category-focused 
organization, while maintaining the connection to  
local consumers through our Nestlé Markets. In  
parallel, we have tailored compensation to increase 
focus on pricing and capital efficiency.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Increasing cash returns to shareholders
In 2018, we returned CHF 13.9 billion to 
shareholders through dividends and share 
repurchases. Share buybacks amounted to 
CHF 6.8 billion, as part of the three-year buyback 
program started in July 2017. Over the last ten 
years, Nestlé has returned CHF 104 billion to 
shareholders, of which CHF 40 billion has been in 
the form of share repurchases.

Board of Directors engagement
Our Board of Directors is fully engaged and  
takes an active role in providing guidance on  
our long-term Nutrition, Health and Wellness 
strategy and Creating Shared Value. We benefit 
from the perspectives of seven new independent 
directors who have been added since 2015. This 
includes three directors added in 2018, who  
bring highly-relevant expertise and experience  
as leaders of consumer-facing companies.

In 2018, the Board conducted a strategic 
review that included an analysis of recent trends 
in the food and beverages industry, as well as our 
responses to them. During the year, the Board 
also carried out an analysis of the company’s 
financial structure. It evaluated the M&A 
approach and track record. It also decided to 
explore strategic options for Nestlé Skin Health. 
In addition, the Board also continuously monitors 
the returns and strategic options of our financial 
investment in L’Oréal.

The Board reviewed the progress of Nestlé 
Business Excellence. It assessed the company’s 
talent pool, supporting actions to improve 
gender balance and increase cultural diversity. It 
examined how the company’s talent acquisition, 
retention and development strategies are being 

adapted to cope with the demands of a changing 
work force.

The Board also visited Nestlé in the United 

States on its annual visit to a major market.

During 2018, the Board continued its ongoing 
review of the company’s governance policies and 
compensation to ensure best practices. The Audit 
Committee and the Chairman’s and Corporate 
Governance Committee provided thorough risk 
oversight. The Sustainability Committee reviewed 
our environmental, social and governance 
commitments to support our goal of enhancing 
quality of life and contributing to a healthier future 
for individuals and families, our communities and 
the planet.

Value for all stakeholders
We believe that our Creating Shared Value 
approach enables us to optimize value for our 
shareholders and have a long-term positive 
impact on all stakeholders connected to our 
business. This includes: employees, consumers, 
business partners, as well as the communities 
in which we operate. We recognize that we 
need to continually earn the trust of all of our 
stakeholders. This must be done through the 
way we manage our businesses, create products 
and pursue profitable growth. We emphasize a 
balanced approach by taking an inclusive view of 
these stakeholders, placing Nutrition, Health and 
Wellness at the core of our strategy.

We take this opportunity to thank all our 
associates for their dedication, initiative and 
energy in driving our results. We also express our 
gratitude to the communities in which we live and 
work. Finally, we thank you, our shareholders,  
for your continued support, trust and confidence.

Paul Bulcke
Chairman

U. Mark Schneider
Chief Executive Officer

5

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Pursuing our 
value-creating strategy

Purina ONE: Nestlé’s fastest 
growing billionaire brand

Purina One’s success is driven  
by the superior nutrition 
profile of its products which 

deliver visibly enhanced 
health throughout the life 
of the pet.

6

Nestlé Annual Review 2018As the ‘Good Food, Good Life’ 
company, we enhance quality of 
life and contribute to a healthier 
future. Winning with consumers 
is the source of our sustainable 
financial performance and our 
way to earning trust and maintain 
our market leadership. Based on a 
compelling Nutrition, Health and 
Wellness strategy, our company 
delivers sustainable value over the 
short term and the long term.

Nestlé has many distinctive strengths that keep 
us at the top of our industry. Our people are our 
greatest strength. We have an attractive product 
portfolio in growing categories with leading 
market positions. We are a global company with 
deep local roots, which gives us a unique ability 
to understand local consumers and adapt fast to 
their preferences. We have powerful, valuable 
brands, which consumers trust. Our products 
reach more than 1 billion consumers every day 
across the world. We also have industry-leading 
R&D capabilities that support our Nutrition, 
Health and Wellness strategy and our  
innovation initiatives.

Our Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy
Our success is built on our Nutrition, Health and 
Wellness strategy. Food and beverages are core 
to Nestlé. We aim to provide the tastiest and 
healthiest choices, for all times of the day and for 
all stages of life, delivered in a convenient manner. 
We aim to capture premiumization opportunities 
and, at the other end of the spectrum, offer 
affordable, high-quality nutrition. We add value 
to our brands and products through meaningful 
differentiation and innovation. We do this by 
continually improving the taste, convenience 
and nutritional qualities of our products. We are 
also well-positioned to build and share nutrition 

knowledge from the first 1000 days of life through 
to healthy aging, and benefit from increased 
interest in nutrition to support good health.

How do we create long-term value?
Our long-term value creation model is based on 
the balanced pursuit of resource efficient top- and 
bottom-line growth. We create value by:
 – Increasing growth through innovation, 

differentiation and by being relevant to our 
consumers. We have committed to reach mid 
single-digit organic growth by 2020.

 – Improving operational efficiency with 

the goal to increase our underlying trading 
operating profit margin to between 17.5% and 
18.5% (from 16.0% in 2016), and

 – Allocating our resources and capital with 
discipline and clear priorities, including 
through acquisitions and divestitures.

Increasing growth
Our portfolio is well positioned for growth. In 
the past, we have consistently delivered organic 
growth at the high end of the industry. We have 
a clear path to achieving mid single-digit organic 
growth by 2020.

Investing in high-growth categories and 
regions. We have identified five high-growth 
food and beverages categories with attractive 
growth rates: coffee, petcare, nutrition, water 
and Nestlé Health Science. Together, they 
represent 57% of sales and 61% of underlying 
trading operating profit *. In 2018, organic growth 
was +4.0%. In these key categories, we have 
strong market positions and highly-differentiated 
offerings. They receive particular emphasis 
from a capital allocation standpoint, with 
significant investments in R&D, marketing, capital 
expenditure and external growth whenever 
appropriate. The other categories continue to 
be important contributors and had 1.9% organic 
growth in 2018. These businesses are managed 
for a combination of growth and value.

We are also focused on expanding our 
presence in high-growth regions. Emerging 
markets represent 42% of sales. In 2018, they 

* Before unallocated items.

7

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Pursuing our value-creating strategy

grew organically by +4.9%, three times faster 
than developed markets and with a higher 
underlying trading operating profit margin. In 
most of these emerging markets, Nestlé has been 
present for many decades and our brands enjoy a 
high level of trust and are rightly viewed as local.

Fixing underperforming businesses. 
We have taken decisive actions to improve 
underperforming businesses through innovation, 
better consumer understanding and, when 
needed, management changes and restructuring. 
In 2018, turnaround examples included Nestlé 
Skin Health and Yinlu in China.

Innovating products and business models. 
Rapid innovation and bringing products to market 
faster are key dimensions of our growth agenda. 
At the same time, we continue to invest in 
cutting-edge science and technology to address 
evolving consumer expectations through new 
offerings and product reformulations. Innovation 
also helps us to premiumize our offering and 
contributes to margin improvement. In 2018, 
22% of our sales came from premium products. 
We are not just innovating with new products 
but also new business models. In particular, 
we have a strong focus on personalized and 
Direct-to-Consumer offerings. In 2018, 8.2%  
of our sales came from Direct-to-Consumer  
business models.

Embracing digital opportunities. Our digital 
transformation focuses on delivering personalized 
messaging, services and products to consumers 
at scale. Powered by data and technology, we are 
modernizing our existing brands and business 
operations while developing new, digitally-centric 
business models. Already 10% of all consumer 
contacts are personalized. In addition, in 2018, 
our e-commerce sales grew five times faster  
than the Group average and reached 7.4% of total 
Nestlé sales.

Managing our portfolio. We continue 
to actively evolve our portfolio towards 
attractive, high-growth businesses. In 2018, 
we strengthened our position in coffee 
through the acquisition of the perpetual global 
license of Starbucks consumer packaged 
goods and foodservice products. We also 
divested our U.S confectionery and Gerber 
Life Insurance businesses. While much work 

8

has been done, we are not yet finished. We 
recognize that acquisitions can provide access 
to new technologies, brands, categories and 
geographies. Similarly, small to medium-sized 
acquisitions can offer a fast and cost-effective 
way to embrace new capabilities or business 
models. We are also actively divesting businesses 
that are non-core and where we have limited 
ability to win. We do this in a disciplined way 
with an aim to minimize potential disruption and 
maximize the value of existing businesses.

Improving operational efficiency
In addition to our growth agenda, we have 
committed to increase our underlying trading 
operating profit margin from 16.0% in 2016 to 
between 17.5% and 18.5% by 2020.

Reducing costs. We are actively executing 

several cost-saving initiatives to reduce 
non-consumer facing structural costs by 
between CHF 2.0 and 2.5 billion. These are 
primarily focused on the areas of administration, 
procurement and manufacturing.

We continued to strengthen our business 
focus through our Nestlé Business Excellence 
program to simplify and standardize processes, 
which helped reduce administrative costs. We 
have increased the penetration of our shared 
service centers from 17% to 35% and are on track 
to reach 50% by 2020. We have also generated 
efficiencies in facility management, and real 
estate through site closure and consolidations.
In procurement we have realized significant 
savings by leveraging our size and scale through 
three global purchasing hubs. We now source 
55% of our requirements through these hubs, and 
this will reach 60% by 2020.

In manufacturing we have further simplified our 
factory footprint and increased capacity utilization.
The savings generated in these three areas so 

far have made a significant contribution to the 
improvement in our underlying trading operating 
profit margin by 50 basis points to 17.0% in 2018, 
and there is more to come.

Freeing up resources. We have also continued 

to deliver efficiencies in R&D and marketing. 
The primary focus of these programs is to free 
up resources to provide fuel for growth and 
innovation. As an example, in the last three years, 

Nestlé Annual Review 2018A balanced value creation model
At Nestlé, we believe the best way to guarantee 
long-term sustainable value creation is through a 
balanced pursuit of growth, profitability and capital 
efficiency. Growth is the primary driver of value 
creation. At the same time, we pursue efficiency and 
profitable growth because we recognize that our 
competitiveness is what ensures our sustainability.  
We are disciplined in our capital allocation and 
committed to increasing shareholder returns, while 
investing for the long-term and Creating Shared Value.

more than CHF 500 million in marketing savings 
have been reinvested in building our brands.
Adjusting management structures and 
systems. We have continued to adapt our 
organization to be simpler and faster. We 
are empowering our market and regional 
teams to drive growth. To support them, we 
have implemented initiatives to delayer our 
organization and speed up decision making 
at a local level. In parallel, we have tailored 
compensation to prioritize profitable growth and 
improved capital efficiency.

Allocating capital with discipline and  
clear priorities
We follow prudent financial policies designed to 
strike the right balance between capital allocation 
and flexible access to financial markets. We have 
well-defined priorities in this regard.

Investing in organic growth. We invest in 
our business through R&D, brand support and 
capital expenditure to support top-line growth. 
Our approach is rigorous and discerning. We 
are allocating more resources behind those 
businesses with the highest potential to create 
economic profit. We have also continued to focus 
on reducing working capital. The five-quarter 
average working capital in % of sales reached 
1.4% at the end of 2018, –20 bps versus the  
restated figure for 2017.

Paying dividends. For 2019, the Board of 
Directors has proposed a 24th consecutive 
dividend increase amounting to CHF 2.45. This 
underlines our commitment to continually return 
capital to shareholders.

Disciplined approach to acquisitions. This 
is based on strategic and cultural fit, as well 
as financial returns. We pursue a disciplined 
acquisition policy, particularly in terms of the 
price that we are prepared to pay. We prioritize 
our high-growth categories and regions, 
particularly coffee, nutrition, petcare, water and 
Nestlé Health Science. For the companies we 
acquire, we have solid integration plans with clear 
accountability and precise targets.

Share buybacks. We have returned 

CHF 6.8 billion of capital to shareholders in 2018 
through share repurchases. This is part of the 
three-year CHF 20 billion share buyback program 
announced in July 2017. This brings the total 
returned to shareholders over the last ten years to 
104 billion.

We also regularly review our capital structure 
to ensure it is appropriate in the context of market 
conditions and our strategic priorities.

Creating Shared Value
Creating Shared Value (CSV) is fundamental 
to how we do business. We believe that our 
company will only be successful for the long term 
by creating value for both our shareholders and 
for society.

Business benefits and positive societal impact 

are mutually reinforcing. In practical terms,  
our products must provide a nutritional benefit  
to the consumer. They must also contribute to  
the development of the local communities  
where we operate and protect the environment 
for future generations through the practice of 
resource stewardship.

9

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Innovating for a changing world

NAN Supreme: Breakthrough 
science creates new 
competitive advantage

Nestlé continues to lead the  
way in developing innovative  
and scientifically‑proven  
infant formulas. NAN Supreme 

contains a Human Milk 
Oligosaccharide (HMOs) blend 
which promotes a healthy baby 
gut bacteria and reduces the risk 

of infections by stimulating  
the immune system.

10

Nestlé Annual Review 2018At Nestlé, continuous innovation is 
part of our DNA. It is a cornerstone 
of our success and key to our 
strategy. For over 150 years, we 
have built unique competitive 
advantages. We have unmatched 
expertise in understanding the 
relationship between nutrition and 
health. Our ability to identify local 
and global trends and translate 
these into meaningful innovations 
that meet consumer demand is 
what drives our growth.

Science-based innovation
Nestlé operates the world’s largest science and 
innovation network in the food and beverages 
industry. In 2018, we invested CHF 1.7 billion into 
R&D. This investment enables us to strengthen 
our solid scientific foundation, leading to new 
breakthrough science and technologies.
We continue to invest in long-term 

innovation projects with the potential for high 
returns. Examples include infant and maternal 
nutrition, healthy aging, personalized nutrition, 
and understanding the microbiome. We are 
committed to delivering on our Nutrition, Health 
and Wellness strategy by further reducing 
sugar, salt and fat. We are also eliminating food 
additives, while fortifying existing products with 
added nutritional benefits.

At the same time, we have increased the 
pace of innovation to be even more responsive 
to consumer trends. We are encouraging our 
researchers to think like entrepreneurs, to explore 
and rapidly test new ideas. In order to stay on  
top of emerging science and technology trends,  
we collaborate closely with academic institutions, 
start-ups and innovation partners across  
the world.

Rapidly-evolving consumer preferences
The food and beverages industry is transforming 
rapidly. Smaller, agile and fast-moving start-ups 
are challenging larger companies by increasing 
the rate of change. Consumer needs and 
expectations are also evolving. There is  
greater demand for healthier and more  
authentic products, including those that are 
locally inspired. These reflect a desire for greater 
transparency and new product experiences. 
There is also a growing global trend toward 
healthier lifestyles, including specific dietary 
requirements such as vegetarian, lactose-free  
or gluten-free.

Increasing our speed
Having great ideas is important, but the real 
opportunity lies in how fast we translate these 
into attractive and relevant products. We want 
to win in the marketplace by creating more 
new and impactful products, services and 
experiences. To launch new products quickly we 
use fast prototyping and leverage our size and 
scale for quick in-market testing. Our R&D and 
commercial functions join forces from the start 
to determine what is desirable to the consumer, 
feasible for the business and creates value 
for Nestlé. We combine this with a pragmatic 
approach to market entry. We are leveraging 
our existing industrial footprint, R&D facilities 
and co-manufacturing partners to support 
faster launches. This allows us to lower or defer 
capital expenditure commitments until we 
have evidence from the market place that an 
innovation can gain traction.

Addressing local consumer trends
When it comes to understanding consumers 
we remain at the forefront of our industry. 
We are a largely decentralized organization, 
which means that our teams are close to the 
consumer. We want to take greater advantage 
of this strength. To do so, we are simplifying 
our innovation processes, and empowering 
our local teams to move earlier on trends. We 
encourage these teams to take greater initiative 
and create products relevant to local consumers. 
Our ambition is to create a steady stream of 
innovative stand-out products.

11

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Innovating for a changing world

Innovating with purpose:  
Advancing sustainability
Our innovation priorities are shaped by our 
purpose and commitment to creating value for all 
our stakeholders. This means that in addition to 
advancing the nutrition, health and wellness profile 
of our categories, we have a special focus on:
 – Developing recyclable packaging solutions 
to reduce our impact on the environment: 
we are investing in environmentally-friendly 
packaging solutions and alternative  
packaging materials.

 – Developing plant-based offerings  

and promoting sustainable nutrition:  
we are developing nutritious dairy and  
meat alternatives with a taste profile 
consumers love.

 – Promoting affordable nutrition: we are 

applying our expertise and novel technological 
solutions to make healthy, fortified products 
available at very low cost.

Reducing packaging waste: The Nestlé Institute  
of Packaging Sciences
The new Institute of Packaging Sciences is part of a 
company-wide drive to make 100% of our packaging 
recyclable or reusable by 2025. The institute accelerates 
the research and development of recyclable, biodegradable 
and compostable polymers, as well as functional paper 
alternatives to plastics. This work is expected to deliver a 
pipeline of functional, safe and environmentally-friendly 
packaging solutions.

Enhancing the science of petcare:  
Nestlé Purina Institute
Purina has been instrumental in shaping the 
science of pet nutrition. To continue that tradition, 
the newly-launched state-of-the-art Purina 
Institute will promote global collaboration with 
veterinary and scientific thought leaders. This will 
enhance veterinary knowledge and increase  
our understanding of the critical role diet plays  
in pet health, which will help fuel and support 
future innovations.

12

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Leveraging our plant-based protein 
platform to capture food industry 
trends: Garden Gourmet
Alternative proteins are a new growth 
platform that capture cross-category 
opportunities by expanding our 
flexitarian and vegan product 
portfolios. The continued expansion of 
the Garden Gourmet range also reflects 
how we are encouraging consumers to 
participate in a more sustainable future 
by shifting to more plant-based diets.

A unique solution to capture  
vegan trends: Häagen-Dazs
Consumer appetite for vegan 
alternatives is shaping a new segment 
in ice cream. By creating a unique 
recipe that uses cocoa, peanut butter 
or coconut cream instead of less 
sustainable non-dairy alternatives 
such as almond milk, the Häagen‑Dazs 
team was able to quickly leverage the 
trend across the Trio platform. With 
its signature thin chocolate layers, Trio 
offers an indulgent experience strongly 
differentiated from competitors.

Internal incubator enables rapid 
product launch: Outsiders
Outsiders pizza is an example of how 
Nestlé teams are embracing a start-up 
mentality. These locally inspired pizzas 
were created by one of our internal 
incubators, with the product brought 
on-shelf within nine months  
of concept.

13

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Connecting through our brands

Through our products and brands, we connect with people and their 
pets millions of times a day and throughout their lives. Our brands are 
our vehicles for creating experiences beyond products.

Powdered and 
Liquid Beverages

Nutrition and 
Health Science

14

I N FA N T   C E R E A L S

®

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Milk products 
and Ice cream

®

®

PANTONE 361C
PANTONE 151C

PetCare

ARCH prints Dreyer’s Brown. ARCH INLINE prints 30M 100Y. ARCH LOGOTYPE k/o to white. ICE CREAM CONE k/o to white 
scoop with Dreyer’s Brown outline and process match pms 7509 cone. BANNER field prints Dreyer’s Brown.

“Scooping Since 1928” prints 30M 100Y with Dreyer’s Brown outline.

Dreyers Brown

CMYK

PROCESS MATCH
PANTONE®
7509 C

ITEM Dreyer’s + Scooping Since 1928: 5 Color Version

DATE

11.19.2015

Please be sure to scale trademarks to minimums depending on your usage.
When scaling this logo more than +/- 10%, you must manually scale the ai Drop Shadow effect that is under the Arch and “Scooping Since 1928”. Use the same percentage of scaling. Your Document 
Raster Effects must be set to 300dpi as well.

Prepared dishes 
and cooking aids

Confectionery

Water

®

E N L I G H T E N E D   F O O D S

15

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Powdered and 
Liquid Beverages

Powdered and Liquid Beverages 
covers our coffee, cocoa 
and malt beverages and tea 
categories. This business 
features some of our most 
iconic brands, such as: Nescafé, 
the world’s favorite coffee 
brand; Nespresso, our premium 
coffee experience; and Milo, the 
world’s most popular chocolate 
malt drink.

At a glance

1  Sales: CHF 21.6 billion 

2  UTOP: 22.7% 

3  23.6% of Nestlé’s sales 

16

Accelerating an international rollout through  
a coordinated campaign: Nescafé
The relaunch of Nescafé Gold, our premium soluble coffee 
range, was rolled out across multiple markets in EMENA 
and ASEAN during 2018. A single advertising campaign was 
adapted globally to improve speed, scale and efficiency.

Premiumizing through 
organic offerings: 
Nescafé Dolce Gusto
Dolce Gusto launched 
Absolute Origin, a fully 
organic, sustainably-sourced 
range of single origin 
coffees that offer consumers 
a premium, authentic  
coffee experience.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Blending a new brand into our coffee 
portfolio: Starbucks
The Starbucks license agreement significantly 
strengthens our position in roast & ground coffee, 
particularly in the United States. In 2019, we will 
launch Starbucks products in retail internationally 
and in a range of formats, including capsules 
compatible with Nespresso and Nescafé Dolce 
Gusto systems.

Reinforcing premium credentials through 
craftmanship: Nespresso
Master Origin Indonesia is the latest in a range of crafted 
coffees that reinforce Nespresso’s premium positioning. It is 
fully Fairtrade-certified, underlining the brand’s commitment 
to authenticity and sustainability.

Expanding portfolios to 
include zero added and 
lower sugar offerings: Milo
Milo’s Gao Kosong is a 
prime example of Nestlé’s 
continued efforts to reduce 
sugar content. This new 
product, created for our 
Singapore market, relies on a 
recipe that provides a better 
carbohydrate profile by  
using only natural sugars  
from malt and milk, with  
no added sucrose.

Novel offering to seed new trends: Nescafé
Azera’s nitrogen-infused coffee broadens the appeal of 
Nescafé’s premium offering in both Ready-to-Drink and 
Out-of-Home. With coffee textures that create an exciting 
experience, Nitro provides coffee-shop generation 
consumers with an experience designed to delight  
and differentiate.

17

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Nutrition and 
Health Science

Our nutrition business includes 
infant formula and baby food. 
The strength of our portfolio in 
these high‑growth categories 
is built on leading science and 
strong positions in emerging 
markets. Nestlé Health Science 
(NHSc) is an additional growth 
platform for Nestlé and is 
well positioned for leadership 
in medical nutrition, consumer 
care, and in vitamins, minerals 
and supplements.

At a glance

1  Sales: CHF 16.2 billion 

2  UTOP: 20.6% 

3  17.7% of Nestlé’s sales 

18

Strengthening a megabrand through 
continuous innovation: S-26
In 2018, the S‑26 brand reshaped its core 
GOLD range with HMOs and  lipids, a unique 
ingredient that contains key nutrients to 
support brain development that is backed by 
robust ongoing clinical programs. S‑26 also 
extended its range with the launch of S‑26 
Organic to align with consumer demand.

Fundamental research 
creates a new growth 
platform: NAN
The rollout of our 
ground-breaking Human 
Milk Oligosaccharide (HMO) 
products accelerated in 
2018 and now extends 
to 36 countries across 
multiple brands. The NAN 
with HMO launch is one 
of the most successful in 
Nestlé’s 150-year history. 
It is an example of Nestlé’s 
commitment to long-term 
fundamental research.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018A pure born brand that 
continually differentiates: 
Garden of Life
Atrium’s Garden of Life is a 
pure-born brand that enjoys 
strong consumer appeal. The 
brand’s latest line of herbal 
supplements is fully traceable 
and sustainably farmed. It 
is also certified organic and 
non-GMO, and is gluten-free 
and vegan. The new line  
makes use of ingredients  
with known health benefits, 
such as turmeric.

Expanding our portfolio with on-trend organic  
and natural offerings: illuma
Following the launch of organic varieties in 2017, illuma continued to meet 
demand for naturality with the launch of illuma Atwo. The new product made  
with A2 milk, was brought to market within seven months. The success  
of these launches reflects our ability to source the right ingredients and ensure  
the integrity of our value chain from farm to bottle.

Resonating with local preferences:  
OptiFibre and Fibermais
Nestlé Health Science’s OptiFibre powder continued its 
successful rollout in 2018, helped by its credentials as a 
clean label, 100% vegetal origin fiber product that is safe, 
effective and free of side effects. In Brazil, Fibermais with 
collagen also enjoyed a successful launch by resonating 
with consumer interest in the link between gut health and 
skin beauty.

Building trust through transparency: Gerber
Gerber’s organic range has helped open new 
growth avenues for this iconic brand. These 
products are GMO-free, made with natural 
ingredients and come in pouches and glass jars. 
The combination of transparent packaging and 
clear messaging around Clean-Field Farming™ 
strongly resonates with consumers in a category 
where quality food credentials are fundamental.

19

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Milk products 
and Ice cream

Milk products, particularly our 
ambient dairy products under 
the Nido brand, are a key pillar 
of our Nutrition, Health and 
Wellness strategy. We leverage 
our scientific and nutritional 
expertise to provide individuals 
and families with dairy products 
to support healthy diets for 
all stages of life, from early 
childhood to old age. Our 
coffee creamer business is 
based on constant innovation 
with our market‑leading brand, 
Coffee Mate. In Ice cream, 
we have a wide range of 
delicious, indulgent products, 
from affordable price points 
to premium offerings such as 
Häagen‑Dazs.

At a glance

1  Sales: CHF 13.2 billion 

2  UTOP: 19.1% 

3  14.5% of Nestlé’s sales 

20

Expanding our affordable nutrition range:  
Nido and Ninho
Nido is well-positioned as a trusted brand in the area of 
affordable nutrition with a range of products tailored to the 
evolving nutritional needs of growing children. The addition 
of this lactose-free format reflects our commitment to 
providing parents everywhere with nutritional solutions  
for the specific needs of their children.

New formats broaden 
appeal to capture 
snacking and vegan 
trend: Häagen-Dazs
The non-dairy bar is a 
unique, first-to-market 
format that aligns this 
superpremium brand with 
rising demand for vegan and 
flexitarian ice cream options. 
The addition of the new 
cookie format also opens  
up new opportunities  
for the brand in the 
sandwich segment.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Extending into 
superpremium:  
Coffee Mate
The launch of Natural 
Bliss Artisan Café creamer 
reinforces Coffee Mate’s 
growing reputation for clean 
label, healthier creamers. By 
using rapid prototyping and 
exotic premium ingredients, 
the development team were 
able to fast-track Natural 
Bliss’s entry into the super 
premium segment.

Capturing gaps in the 
market: Drumstick
Drumstick Mini Drums 
mini cones are the latest 
addition to our portfolio 
of snack-sized treats. We 
were first to market with a 
format that meets growing 
demand for convenience 
and portion-control. At less 
than 140 calories per treat, 
the product has proven  
a big hit with both parents 
and those looking for 
permissible indulgence.

Reshaping the premium snack market: Outshine
Outshine’s new formulation leverages on-trend flavors and 
the brand’s fruit-first approach to ingredients to create a 
range of refreshing, “snack brighter” offerings. This latest 
launch reinforces its role in pioneering a new snacking 
segment. Reflecting consumer appetite for natural, 
wholesome indulgence, the range is free from corn syrup, 
artificial colors, fat and gluten. This product is also non-GMO 
and vegan.

Expanding our plant-based non-dairy 
options: Nesfit and Carnation
New offerings from Nesfit and Carnation reflect 
portfolio-wide efforts to expand our range of 
non-dairy alternatives. Nesfit products are made 
from wholesome wholegrains while Carnation’s 
new range offers a non-dairy cooking  
solution that does not compromise on rich, 
creamy flavors.

21

Nestlé Annual Review 2018PetCare

Nestlé Purina’s leading portfolio 
of brands include Pro Plan, 
Purina ONE, Gourmet and 
Merrick, among others. We 
continue to improve our core 
products, address consumer 
preferences for natural pet 
food, advance our e‑commerce 
capabilities and offer new 
personalized Direct‑to‑Consumer 
experiences. To support global 
demand for our brands in 
both developed and emerging 
markets, we continue to 
invest in our worldwide 
manufacturing footprint. Our 
focus on developing nutritional 
breakthroughs based on proven 
science will also allow us to 
deliver on our commitment to 
help pets live better, longer lives.

Increased manufacturing capacity set  
to boost growth: Purina Cat
To support robust growth in the cat food 
segment, Purina’s production capacity has 
been expanded with new plants coming online 
in Hungary, Poland, Chile, Mexico, Brazil and 
the United States. Nestlé’s lead in the segment 
reflects how our investment in science and  
taste create competitive advantage and robust 
brand loyalty.

At a glance

1  Sales: CHF 12.8 billion 

2  UTOP: 21.6% 

3  14.0% of Nestlé’s sales 

22

Offering probiotic 
solutions: Pro Plan
Pro Plan is the flagship 
nutrition brand for Purina 
and select Pro Plan Savor  
dry formulas offer live 
probiotics to support 
digestive health in cats  
and dogs.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Growing opportunities in specialty 
and veterinarian channels through 
nutritional solutions: Pro Plan
Pro Plan Veterinary Diets NC NeuroCare 
is the world’s first and only pet food 
diet developed to help nutritionally 
manage epilepsy in dogs as an adjunct 
to veterinary therapy. NeuroCare  
can also be used to manage cognitive 
dysfunction in dogs. The product  
is an example of how leading  
research can support growth in the 
veterinary segment.

Strengthening Nestlé’s move into personalized 
petcare: Tails.com
With its proprietary nutritional algorithm, convenient 
subscription service and home delivery model, the 
acquisition of a majority stake in Tails.com offers Nestlé  
the opportunity to further expand into the field of 
personalized petcare. The platform comes with a new  
digital business model that fits strongly with our petcare 
drive into e-commerce.

New format, same dedication to 
taste experience: Gourmet Gold
This year’s launch of the Gourmet Gold 
Melting Heart range is an example of 
successful premiumization based on 
superior taste experience.

Opening up healthy growth 
opportunities in snacks: DentaLife
DentaLife daily oral treats provide pet 
owners with a pioneering aerated chew 
that reduces tartar buildup in pets. The 
product is part of Purina’s drive to capture 
rising demand for healthy pet snacks with 
functional benefits.

23

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Prepared dishes
and cooking aids

Our Prepared dishes and 
cooking aids category 
contains a wide range of daily 
staples, from bouillons, soups, 
ambient and chilled culinary 
products, to frozen food and 
pizzas. We have a number 
of iconic brands, including 
Maggi, Stouffer’s and Buitoni 
that cater to regional and local 
tastes. We are committed 
to renovating our product 
portfolio with more natural, 
tasty and healthy ingredients.

The authentic taste  
of italian pizza: Buitoni
Buitoni has leveraged  
pizzeria chef expertise to  
create an authentic Italian  
pizza experience inspired  
by neapolitan know-how.  
Buitoni Bella Napoli combines  
the unique taste and texture  
of 22-hour fermented  
dough with ingredients  
sourced from regions  
known for traditional and  
quality-focused food culture.  
The product is also available 
under the Wagner brand  
as Ernst Wagners “Original”.

At a glance

1  Sales: CHF 12.1 billion 

2  UTOP: 18.0% 

3  13.2% of Nestlé’s sales 

24

Meeting local consumer  
taste: Maggi
Naija Pot reflects Maggi’s ability to 
localize through consumer insight and 
recipe adaptation. By combining rapid 
prototyping with local flavors, we were 
able to capture the ‘bottom of the 
pot’ taste that consumers craved. The 
product reflects Maggi’s ‘partner to 
everyday cooking’ approach by using 
local raw materials.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Adding exotic ingredients to excite  
and surprise: Thomy
Thomy has introduced ethnically-inspired 
flavors and natural ingredients to meet 
growing consumer appetite for convenient 
world cuisine. The brand has also extended 
its offering in vegan-friendly products.

Enhancing flavor in top family  
meals: Maggi
Magic Sarap and Masala Ae Magic are 
examples of Maggi’s strategy to be  
the partner to every main meal. The 
‘All-in-one’ seasonings use simple,  
natural ingredients and a digital recipe 
service to inspire parents to cook delicious, 
balanced meals. Reflecting Nestlé’s 
core purpose, the products help provide 
affordable nutrition for the whole family.

Repositioning the core to adapt to new trends: Hot Pockets
Hot Pockets’ successful relaunch has been achieved by adjusting both 
its target consumer and value proposition. By adding high-protein 
variants and investing in its core sandwich segment, the new offering 
appeals to consumers looking for convenient ‘on the go’ solutions.

Scaling up our plant-based 
portfolio: Sweet Earth
The launch of the Sweet Earth 
plant-based pizza illustrates our efforts 
to enable the shift to more balanced 
and sustainable food systems by 
offering consumers vegan choices  
for top dishes.

25

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Confectionery

Our Confectionery category 
includes the iconic global brand 
KitKat and a large portfolio of 
much‑loved local brands. We 
have continued to focus on 
innovation and premiumization 
in the category. In line with 
our aim to provide consumers 
with healthier options, we 
launched MilkyBar Wowsomes, 
a new chocolate bar with 30% 
less sugar based on Nestlé’s 
breakthrough technology of 
micro‑aerated sugar.

A world first in chocolate: KitKat
KitKat Ruby is the world’s first naturally ruby-colored 
chocolate bar, offering consumers a completely new and 
innovative chocolate experience. What makes the ruby 
chocolate special is the intense taste it achieves without  
the addition of any flavor or color.

At a glance

1  Sales: CHF 8.1 billion 

2  UTOP: 17.3% 

3  8.9% of Nestlé’s sales 

26

Creating new brand experiences 
beyond the moment of consumption: 
KitKat Chocolatory
The KitKat Chocolatory temporary pop-up 
format has continued to expand across 
new markets. The approach is a showcase 
for brand building through immersive, 
personalized experience that goes beyond 
the moment of consumption.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Premiumization  
through personalization:  
Quality Street
Quality Street now allows 
consumers to customize 
their own sweet mix and 
personalize each tin. By 
collaborating with select 
retailers, the brand has 
generated significant 
consumer excitement and 
social media buzz. This 
approach has opened up new 
growth opportunities for a 
traditionally seasonal product.

Innovating with local hero brands: Rossiya and Talento
Rossiya (Russia) and Garoto’s Talento (Brazil) latest product innovations match 
local favorites with a new, layered fruit, nut and dark chocolate format that is 
strongly visually-differentiated. Talento is also the first mainstream, clean label 
organic chocolate in Brazil giving it specific appeal to millennials.

Reducing sugar content through our 
breakthrough facets technology: Milkybar
Milkybar Wowsomes is our first product to market 
to leverage our breakthrough micro-aeration 
technology to reduce sugar content by 30%.  
This innovation opens up new opportunities  
in indulgence by providing a natural alternative  
to artificial sweeteners.

A new all-natural brand created by  
an internal start-up: Yes!
Yes!, Nestlé’s new brand of vegetarian, gluten-free 
snack bars, was developed from concept to 
launch in nine months. The brand is positioned 
to capture the rapid growth in healthy snacking. 
Using tasty combinations of wholesome 
ingredients, Yes! delivers great texture and novel 
flavors such as lemon and quinoa to create 
meaningful product differentiation.

27

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Water

Nestlé Waters is leading in a 
fast‑growing category where 
consumers are increasingly 
seeking healthier alternatives 
to sugary drinks and juices, 
and hydration options with 
functional benefits. Our Waters 
business includes Nestlé 
Pure Life, the world’s biggest 
bottled water brand, which 
provides affordable healthy 
hydration in many markets 
worldwide. Meanwhile, our 
international sparkling water 
brands, S.Pellegrino and Perrier, 
continue to enjoy strong growth 
in the premium segment.

At a glance

1  Sales: CHF 7.4 billion 

2  UTOP: 10.5% 

3  8.1% of Nestlé’s sales 

28

Accelerating leadership in premium sparkling  
and flavored: S.Pellegrino and Perrier
Our flagship brands S.Pellegrino and Perrier have added new 
natural, fruit-flavored offerings and aluminum can formats to 
capture surging consumer demand for flavored water. Trading 
on heritage, premium sourcing and naturality these brands 
appeal strongly to millennials. The new S.Pellegrino Essenza 
range showcases how the brands continue to refresh their 
premium differentiation by offering novel flavor combinations 
and linking consumption to specific occasions.

Breakthrough cold brew 
technology creates 
bio-infused water: Vittel
Vittel’s bio-infusion range is 
made by slowly brewing fruit 
at ambient temperature to 
preserve their natural taste.  
All products are 100%  
organic, with no preservatives,  
no added aromas and no 
sweeteners satisfying 
consumer appetites for  
natural, healthy hydration  
with authentic taste.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Expanding a premium still icon: 
Acqua Panna
Acqua Panna has begun a major 
transformation that will see production 
capacity significantly increased and the 
brand image refreshed to emphasize 
its Tuscan origins. These actions 
offer timely support to the brand’s 
international expansion.

Expanding into sparkling and flavored water growth spaces: 
U.S regional spring water brands
In the United States, we have introduced sparkling and flavored 
variants made with natural flavors to our leading local spring water 
brands. The move is in response to a significant shift in consumer 
habits away from sugary drinks. The range is free from calories, 
sugars, sweeteners and colors.

Opening up functional water opportunities: Levissima+
Levissima+ not only quenches thirst but also replenishes 
through the addition of mineral salts, providing  
functional benefits such as improved muscle function  
and reduced tiredness.

Expanding our kid-friendly formats 
to encourage healthy-hydration 
habits: Nestlé Pure Life
Nestlé Pure Life has expanded its 
product portfolio by introducing new 
iconic formats and bottle shapes. 
Launched in more than 15 countries, 
the new range of ‘Water buddies’ aims 
to make pure water a go-to for kids, 
breaking sugary drink habits.

29

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Creating Shared Value

Maggi Naija Pot: A seasoning 
cube with a social impact

Produced at our Flowergate 
factory in Nigeria, Maggi’s new 
Naija Pot seasoning responds to 
local tastes and the preferences 

of today’s consumer for simple 
and familiar ingredients, while 
offering an improved nutritional 
profile that contains less salt.

30

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Creating Shared Value (CSV) is 
fundamental to how we do business 
at Nestlé. We believe that our 
company will be successful in the 
long term by creating value for both 
our shareholders and for society. 
Our activities and products should 
make a positive difference to society 
while contributing to Nestlé’s 
ongoing success.

Focus on key areas
Long‑term value creation requires focus. In 
consultation with experts, we chose to prioritize 
the three areas where our business intersects the 
most with society: nutrition, rural development and 
water. Value creation is only possible with a solid 
foundation of compliance and a culture of respect, 
as well as a firm commitment to environmental and 
social sustainability. Our impact on these focus 
areas is measured by progress against publicly 
stated commitments, which are informed by our 
materiality assessment (see p. 41) and regular 
feedback from external groups.

The business case for Creating Shared Value
We cannot maximize long‑term sustainable value 
creation for shareholders at the expense of other 
stakeholders. We believe that societies will not 
support a business that harms our communities 
and overall sense of well‑being. Creating Shared 
Value helps ensure that we remain relevant  
with consumers.

To better connect financial with non‑financial 

value creation and reporting, we worked with 
Ernst & Young (EY) and Valuing Nature to 
conduct an impact assessment to calculate 
the societal and business value generated by 
our Global Youth Initiative (GYI). Launched in 
2017, the GYI is expected to create 10 million 
economic opportunities for young people over 
the next decade. The study revealed that the 
initiative generated a positive business return on 

Nestlé CEO U. Mark Schneider with students of the Kouadiolangokro 
bridge school in rural Côte d’Ivoire. Built in partnership with the Jacobs 
Foundation, bridge schools provide access to education and help 
prevent child labor.

investment, and an even higher societal return. 
More detail on the results and methodology have 
been published on our website.

This impact valuation methodology has been 
peer‑reviewed by FSG and continues to be refined 
through application to other projects. We are 
currently conducting an impact valuation of our 
Caring for Water initiative.

We also participated in the work of the 
Embankment Project for Inclusive Capitalism 
(EPIC), which aims at shaping the broader 
conversation on long‑term value creation.

Further information 
Find details of our management approach and governance structure, 
as well as performance data, case studies and additional content, in our 
annual Nestlé in society – Creating Shared Value online report and the 
Nestlé in society section of our corporate website (www.nestle.com/csv).

31

Nestlé Annual Review 2018For individuals 
and families

Enabling healthier  
and happier lives

Our 2030 ambition is to help 50 million children 
lead healthier lives

Building, sharing 
and applying 
nutrition knowledge

 Build and share 

nutrition knowledge 
from the first 
1000 days through  
to healthy aging

 Build biomedical 

science leading to 
health‑promoting 
products, personalized 
nutrition and  
digital solutions

Offering tastier and 
healthier choices

Inspiring people  
to lead healthier lives

 Launch more 

foods and beverages 
that are nutritious, 
especially for  
mothers‑to‑be, new 
mothers, and infants 
and children

 Further 

decrease sugars, 
sodium and  
saturated fat

 Increase 
vegetables, fiber‑rich 
grains, pulses, nuts 
and seeds in our foods 
and beverages

 Simplify our 
ingredient lists and 
remove artificial colors

 Address 
undernutrition 
through micronutrient 
fortification

 Apply and explain 
nutrition information on 
packs, at point of sale 
and online

 Offer guidance  

on portions for  
our products

 Leverage our 

marketing efforts 
to promote healthy 
cooking, eating  
and lifestyles

 Empower parents, 
caregivers and teachers 
to foster healthy 
behaviors in children

 Support 

breastfeeding and 
protect it by continuing 
to implement an 
industry‑leading policy 
to market breast‑milk 
substitutes responsibly

 Inspire people to 

choose water to lead 
healthier lives

 Partner for 

promoting healthy  
food environments

Nestlé. Enhancing 
quality of life and 
contributing to  
a healthier future.

Driven by our company purpose 
—enhancing quality of life and 
contributing to a healthier future— 
our 2030 ambitions align with those 
of the United Nations 2030 Agenda 
for Sustainable Development.

At Nestlé, we touch billions of lives worldwide: 
from the individuals and families who enjoy our 
products, to the communities in which we live, 
work and source our ingredients, and the natural 
environment upon which we all depend. Having 
identified three core areas where we make an 
impact, we have made public commitments 
against our most material issues, which help  
us achieve our ambitions and ultimately support 
the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)  
for 2030.

Status of our commitments

  New
  In progress
  Achieved

32

Nestlé Annual Review 2018For our 
communities

Helping develop thriving, 
resilient communities

For the planet

Stewarding resources 
for future generations

Our 2030 ambition is to improve 30 million livelihoods  
in communities directly connected to our business activities

Our 2030 ambition is to strive for zero environmental 
impact in our operations

Enhancing rural 
development  
and livelihoods

Respecting  
and promoting  
human rights

Promoting decent 
employment  
and diversity

Caring for water

Acting on  
climate change

Safeguarding  
the environment

 Improve farm 

economics among the 
farmers who supply us

 Improve food 

availability and dietary 
diversity among the 
farmers who supply us

 Implement 
responsible sourcing  
in our supply chain  
and promote  
animal welfare

 Continuously 

improve our green 
coffee supply chain

 Roll out the 
Nestlé Cocoa Plan  
with cocoa farmers

 Assess and 
address human rights 
impacts across our 
business activities

 Roll out our 

Nestlé needs YOUth 
initiative across  
all our operations

 Improve 
workers’ livelihoods 
and protect children  
in our agricultural 
supply chain

 Enhance a 

culture of integrity 
across the organization

 Provide effective
grievance mechanisms 
to employees  
and stakeholders

 Enhance 

gender balance in 
our workforce and 
empower women 
across the entire  
value chain

 Advocate for 
healthy workplaces 
and healthier 
employees

 Work to achieve 

 Provide climate 

 Improve 

water efficiency and 
sustainability across  
all our operations

 Advocate  

for effective  
water policies  
and stewardship

 Engage with 

suppliers, especially 
those in agriculture 

 Raise awareness 
on water conservation 
and improve access to 
water and sanitation 
across our value chain

change leadership

 Promote 

transparency and 
proactive, long‑term 
engagement  
in climate policy

the environmental 
performance of  
our packaging

 Reduce food 

loss and waste

 Provide 

meaningful  
and accurate 
environmental 
information and 
dialogue

 Preserve  

natural capital

33

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Enabling healthier 
and happier lives

Consumer food habits are 
changing. In line with these 
evolving needs, we are 
transforming our products, 
making them more nutritious 
and natural. We also help 
parents everyday through 
supportive services. The driving 
force is Nestlé for Healthier Kids,  
our flagship initiative to help 
50 million children lead healthier 
lives by 2030.

Inspiring people to lead healthier lives
We make sure our brands provide healthy recipes, clear 
nutrition information and portion guidance to raise 
awareness and help consumers adopt healthier lifestyles.
Good nutrition in the early years lays the foundation  
for lifelong health and well‑being. Our flagship initiative  
Nestlé for Healthier Kids aims to educate and inspire parents 
and caregivers of children during the crucial period from 
conception to adolescence.

At a glance

1  29 million children  
reached through  
Nestlé for Healthier Kids 

2  Over 1300 new nutritious 
products launched for 
babies, children, expecting 
women or new mothers

3  CHF 1.7 billion invested in 
research and development

34

Nesquik
Making healthy choices easier with  
a range of reduced sugar options  
of iconic brands.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Sweet Earth
Flexitarian, vegetarian, these plant‑based  
meal options help to support a healthy diet 
without compromising on nutrition, taste  
or convenience.

Offering tastier and healthier choices
Malnutrition comes in many forms: undernutrition, obesity or being 
overweight, and micronutrient deficiencies. Combating malnutrition 
remains one of the greatest global health challenges.

With particular attention to children, we are committed to launching 
more nutritious foods and drinks, increasing vegetable and whole grain 
content, simplifying ingredient lists and removing artificial colors.  
We also fortify products where needed and are reducing sugar, sodium 
and saturated fat.

Building, sharing and applying  
nutrition knowledge
Our scientists and researchers work to discover 
how different aspects of nutrition impact us at 
every stage of life. Our studies of infants’ and 
children’s eating habits for instance, which 
include dietary intake information from over 
55 000 infants, toddlers and school‑aged children 
worldwide, help us to improve products and 
services. The learnings are also shared with 
medical and nutrition communities to address  
various global health challenges.

Vitaflo
Our cutting edge 
research allows  
us to help people 
with food‑related 
medical conditions.

35

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Helping develop thriving, 
resilient communities

We aim to develop thriving, 
resilient communities as part of 
a secure, long‑term value chain, 
empowering our employees, 
supporting rural development, 
ensuring responsible sourcing 
and promoting human 
rights. Initiatives such as our 
Nespresso AAA Sustainable 
Quality Program, Nescafé Plan, 
Nestlé Cocoa Plan and  
Farmer Connect help ensure  
the resilience of thousands  
of suppliers and farmers around 
the world.

Enhancing rural development and livelihoods
By understanding the challenges farmers face, we aim to 
improve productivity and incomes, make agriculture more 
attractive and secure long‑term supplies.

Our Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System 

continues to grow in our cocoa supply countries, Côte 
d’Ivoire and Ghana, and has now helped 11 130 children.

In 2018, we launched Grown Respectfully to communicate 

the work of our Nescafé Plan by conveying real, inspiring 
experiences from coffee growers.

Nescafé
Grown Respectfully brings to life the 
work that Nescafé has been doing 
for over 80 years to help our farmers 
grow better coffee, sustainably.

At a glance

1  63% of our 14 priority 

categories of ingredients 
are responsibly sourced

2  43.2% of Nestlé’s 

leadership roles are held  
by women

3  Over 400 000 young 

people reached through 
Nestlé needs YOUth

36

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Respecting and promoting  
human rights
We are committed to respecting  
and promoting human rights across 
our activities. We work with experts  
to identify risks and implement  
action plans.

We have further promoted human 
rights at country operation level, a key 
step toward governance structures 
to oversee human rights risks and 
opportunities. We also launched an 
updated training tool, which will help 
us achieve our objective to train all 
Nestlé employees on human rights.

KitKat
Nestlé is committed to supporting 
sustainable cocoa farming and teamed up 
with ethical ad platform Good‑Loop to allow 
viewers to donate part of the KitKat brand’s 
media budget to the Nestlé Cocoa Plan.

Promoting decent employment and diversity
Ensuring decent employment, diversity and 
inclusion is a key aspect of Nestlé’s culture. In 
2018, we pledged to accelerate achieving equal 
pay. We implemented a new maternity policy 
across our markets and publicly committed to the 
UN’s Standards of Conduct for Business to  
tackle LGBTI discrimination. Furthermore, we 
worked on tackling conscious and unconscious 
biases in our organization through trainings  
and communications.

Nespresso
The role of women in coffee smallholder 
farming is very important to the sustainable 
development of their local communities and 
the sector. This is why Nespresso emphasizes 
gender equality in coffee‑sourcing regions.

37

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Stewarding resources 
for future generations

We are dependent upon forests,  
soils, the oceans and the 
climate to deliver a sustainable 
supply of resources for our 
operations. We have set 
commitments and objectives 
to use and manage resources 
sustainably, by operating more 
efficiently, responding  
to climate change, reducing 
food loss and waste, and caring 
for water. Our ambition is to 
strive for zero environmental 
impact in our operations.

Caring for water
Caring for water is a key part of achieving our ambition of zero 
environmental impact in our operations. We continue to reduce 
withdrawals per tonne of product and reuse water. We also work 
with others, such as the Alliance for Water Stewardship, on 
water stewardship initiatives and increasing access to safe water, 
sanitation and hygiene, a fundamental right for everyone.

Nido
Nestlé dairy processing factories 
are progressing toward becoming 
zero water facilities by reusing 
the water recovered from the milk 
evaporation process.

At a glance

1  We have 18 zero water 

factories

2  38.2% reduction in GHG 
emissions per tonne  
of product since 2008

3  118 710 tonnes  

of packaging avoided  
since 2015

38

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Acting on climate change
As an industry, we are impacted by climate change. 
Changing weather influences crop yields and the livelihoods 
of farmers. We are determined to help our farmers build 
resilience to climate change, and are playing our part 
in reducing our impact upon the climate by reducing 
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with science‑based 
targets throughout the value chain.

Extrafino
We work closely with local 
dairy farmers, collecting 
fresh milk and supporting 
energy‑efficient projects.

Safeguarding the environment
Across Nestlé, we reduce, reuse and recycle to move our sites toward zero waste 
for disposal. We want no Nestlé packaging to end up in landfills or as litter, on 
land or at sea.

In 2018, we announced the creation of the Nestlé Institute of Packaging 
Sciences, dedicated to the discovery and development of functional, safe and 
environmentally‑friendly packaging solutions. This is a step toward our ambition 
to make 100% of our packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

We rely on healthy forests, soils and oceans for the ingredients we use. We 
aim to improve our environmental performance while growing our business: from 
working with farmers to manage soils and avoid excess run‑off, to investing in 
waste infrastructure to stop plastic leakage, to supporting global efforts, like the 
Global Ghost Gear Initiative.

Pure Life
Nestlé Pure Life water bottles, 
already made from recyclable 
plastic, are an example of our 
global packaging ambition to 
make 100% of our packaging 
recyclable or reusable by 2025.

39

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Stakeholder engagement 
and materiality mapping

Our stakeholders include: investors, multilateral 
organizations, governments, NGOs, academia, 
local communities, suppliers, consumers and 
business‑to‑business customers.

Every two years, we ask an independent 
third party to carry out a formal materiality 
assessment, to help us identify the most 
important issues for our business and  
our stakeholders.

Our stakeholder convenings and other events 

provide further opportunities for dialogue. In 
March 2018, our Creating Shared Value Forum 
—attended by Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke 
and CEO U. Mark Schneider—was held in 
conjunction with the eighth Global World Water 
Forum in Brasilia, Brazil. In 2018, as part of our 
investor outreach we met with 660 firms and 
1148 investors across 23 cities.

Our performance in leading indices
We are not driven by awards and recognition, but 
we’re proud to have our sustainability efforts and 
achievements acknowledged by world‑leading 
ratings and rankings agencies:

Nestlé has been consistently 
listed in the FTSE4Good 
Responsible Investment Index 
since 2011.

Ranked first out of 22 global food 
and beverage manufacturers in 
the 2018 Access to Nutrition 
Index™ (ATNI).

Ranked second in the Food 
Products industry of the 2018 
Dow Jones Sustainability Index 
(DJSI), scored 100 for Health 
and Nutrition performance, and 
hold the leadership scores in 
the Environmental and Social 
Dimensions.

Retained our place in CDP’s 
Climate A list.

Engaging with others on important 
issues strengthens our business. 
We seek the advice of experts, 
advocates and challengers to 
develop our corporate policies and 
commitments, inform strategy and 
prioritize investments.

Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke speaks at the 2018 Creating 
Shared Value Forum in Brasilia, Brazil, where the topic was 
“Water as a driver for the Sustainable Development Goals.”

40

Nestlé Annual Review 2018 
 
 
 
Nestlé materiality matrix 2018

Natural resource and water stewardship
Climate change

Supply chain stewardship
Over and undernutrition

l

s
r
e
d
o
h
e
k
a
t
s
o
t
e
c
n
a
t
r
o
p
m

I

j

r
o
a
M

Women’s empowerment
Community relations

t
n
a
c
fi
n
g
S

i

i

Rural development and poverty alleviation
Human rights
Business ethics
Responsible marketing and influence
Product quality
Food and nutrition security
Resource Efficiency, (Food) Waste 
and the Circular Economy
Land management in the supply chain

Food and product safety
Changing consumer demographics  
and trends
Product packaging and plastic

Animal Welfare
Employee Safety, Health and Wellness
Fair employment and equal opportunities

Product regulation and taxation
Geopolitical uncertainty
Responsible use of technology
Data privacy and cyber security

e
t
a
r
e
d
o
M

Moderate

Significant

Major

Impact on Nestlé’s success

For individuals and families

For our communities

For the planet

P	 Over and undernutrition
P	 Responsible marketing  

and influence
P	 Product quality
P	 Food and product safety
P	 Changing consumer 

demographics and trends
P	 Food and nutrition security
P	 Data privacy and cyber security

P	 Supply chain stewardship
P	 Women’s empowerment
P	 Product regulation and taxation
P	 Human rights
P	 Animal welfare
P	 Business ethics
P	 Employee Safety,  

Health and Wellness
P	 Geopolitical uncertainty
P	 Fair employment  

and equal opportunities

P	 Natural disasters
P	 Responsible use of technology
P	 Community relations
P	 Rural development  

and poverty alleviation

P	 Natural resource  

and water stewardship
P	 Resource Efficiency, (Food) 

Waste and the Circular Economy

P	 Land management in the  

supply chain
P	 Climate change
P	 Product packaging and plastic

41

Nestlé Annual Review 2018 
 
Financial review 

42
42

Nestlé Annual Review 2018

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Key figures (consolidated)

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

Results 
Sales 
Underlying Trading operating profit (a) 
as % of sales 
Trading operating profit (a) 
as % of sales 
Profit for the year 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 (a)
Ratio of net financial debt to equity (gearing)
Operating cash flow 
as % of net financial debt
Free cash flow (a)
Capital additions 
as % of sales 

Data per share
Weighted average number of shares outstanding (in millions of units)

Basic earnings per share 
Underlying earnings per share (a)
Dividend as proposed by the Board of Directors of Nestlé S.A.

Market capitalization, end December

Number of employees (in thousands)

2017 *

2018

89 590 

14 771 

16.5%

 91 439 

 15 521 

17.0%

13 277 

 13 789 

14.8%

7 156 

8.0%

15.1%

 10 135 

11.1%

60 956 

21 369 

35.1%

 57 363 

 30 330 

52.9%

14 199 

 15 398 

66.4%

9 358 

6 569 

7.3%

50.8%

 10 765 

 14 711 

16.1%

 3 092 

 3 014 

CHF

CHF

CHF

2.31

3.55

2.35

3.36

4.02

2.45

 256 223 

 237 363 

 323 

 308 

Principal key figures (b) (illustrative) in CHF, USD, EUR
In millions (except for data per share)

Sales
Underlying Trading operating profit (a)
Trading operating profit (a)
Profit for the year attributable to shareholders of the parent (Net profit)

Equity attributable to shareholders of the parent 

Market capitalization, end December

Total CHF

Total CHF

Total USD Total USD Total EUR

Total EUR

2017

 89 590 

 14 771 

 13 277 

 7 156 

 60 956 

2018

 91 439 

 15 521 

 13 789 

 10 135 

 57 363 

2017

 91 032 

 15 009 

 13 490 

 7 271 

 62 404 

2018

 93 366 

 15 848 

 14 080 

 10 348 

 58 177 

2017

 80 509 

 13 274 

 11 931 

 6 430 

2018

 79 208 

 13 445 

 11 945 

 8 779 

 52 205 

 50 855 

 256 223 

 237 363 

 262 309 

 240 733 

 219 440 

 210 432 

Data per share

Basic earnings per share 

2.31

3.36

2.35

 3.43 

2.08

 2.91 

 2017 figures have been restated, see Foreword on page 44.

* 
(a)   Certain financial performance measures are not defined by IFRS. For further details, see Foreword on page 44.
(b)   Income statement figures translated at weighted average annual rate; Balance sheet figures at year‑end rate.

43

Nestlé Annual Review 2018 
Group overview

Foreword
2017 figures disclosed in the Financial review 
have been restated to reflect:
 – modifications as described in Note 1 

Accounting policies of the Consolidated 
Financial Statements of the Nestlé  
Group 2018; and

 – the changes of business structure, effective  

as from January 1, 2018, mainly Nestlé 
Nutrition from a Globally-Managed to  
a Regionally-Managed Business transferred  
to the Zones and Other businesses.

In addition, the Financial review contains certain 
financial performance measures, that are not 
defined by IFRS, that are used by management to 
assess the financial and operational performance 
of the Group. They include among others:
 – Organic growth, Real internal growth  

and Pricing;

 – Underlying Trading operating profit margin  

and Trading operating profit margin;

 – Net financial debt;
 – Free cash flow; and
 – Underlying earnings per share (EPS) and EPS  

in constant currency.

Management believes that these non-IFRS 
financial performance measures provide useful 
information regarding the Group’s financial  
and operating performance.

The Alternative Performance Measures 
document published under www.nestle.com/
investors/publications defines these non-IFRS 
financial performance measures.

Introduction
We are pleased with our progress in 2018. 
All financial performance metrics improved 
significantly and we saw revived growth in our 
two largest markets, the United States and China, 
as well as in our infant nutrition business. Nestlé 
keeps investing in future growth and—at the 
same time—has increased the amount of cash 
returned to shareholders through our dividend 
and share buyback program.

We made significant progress with our 
portfolio transformation and sharpened our 
Group’s strategic focus, strengthening key growth 
categories and geographies in the process. Our 
unique Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy, 

44

Sales by geographic areas

Differences 2018/2017 (in %)

in CHF

in local 
currency

By principal markets

United States

Greater China Region

France

Brazil

United Kingdom

Mexico

Germany

Philippines

Canada

Italy

Japan

Russia

Spain

Australia

India

Switzerland

Rest of the world 

Total

(a)   Not applicable.

+ 4.1%

+ 6.5%

+ 3.1%

– 14.7%

+ 8.4%

+ 3.4%

+ 2.6%

– 3.7%

+ 6.2%

+ 2.1%

+ 1.8%

– 1.6%

+ 1.7%

– 1.1%

+ 4.9%

– 1.8%

+ 1.3%

+ 2.1%

+ 4.6%

+ 5.2%

– 0.7%

– 1.5%

+ 5.8%

+ 6.0%

– 1.1%

+ 1.3%

+ 6.9%

– 1.6%

+ 0.9%

+ 6.9%

– 2.0%

+ 2.1%

+ 10.9%

– 1.8%
(a)

(a)

in CHF 
millions

2018

27 618 

7 004 

4 561 

3 683 

2 930 

2 813 

2 752 

2 476 

2 064 

1 819 

1 782 

1 595 

1 552 

1 552 

1 529 

1 241 

24 468 

91 439 

with food, beverages and nutritional health 
products at its core, has become much clearer as 
we completed a sizeable number of transactions 
and announced strategic reviews for Nestlé Skin 
Health and Herta.

In 2018, we upgraded our innovation engine 

notably to ensure continued technology 
leadership and a shorter time to market. In the 
fast-changing food and beverages space Nestlé 
has what it takes to truly excite consumers with 
meaningful innovation and must-have products.
We reaffirmed our sustainability leadership at 

a time when consumers and regulators around 
the world are increasingly looking for solutions to 
today’s environmental and societal problems. Our 
decisive action and strong commitments to tackle 
the global packaging waste problem are a case  
in point.

Nestlé Annual Review 2018We are on our way to meeting our 2020 

targets and positioning Nestlé for sustained and 
sustainable growth in the years beyond.

Group sales
Organic growth (OG) reached 3.0%, fully in line 
with the February 2018 guidance. Group real 
internal growth (RIG) increased to 2.5% for the 
full year and remained at the high end of the food 
and beverages industry. This was supported 
by disciplined execution, faster innovation and 
successful new product launches. Pricing was 
0.5%, with some improvement from 0.3% in 
the first half to 0.9% in the second half of the 
year. Net acquisitions increased sales by 0.7%. 
This was largely related to the acquisitions of 
the Starbucks license and Atrium Innovations, 
which more than offset divestments, mainly U.S. 
confectionery. Foreign exchange reduced sales 
by 1.6% as several emerging market currencies 
devalued against the Swiss franc. Total reported 
sales increased by 2.1% to CHF 91.4 billion.
2018 organic growth was supported by 
stronger momentum in the United States and 
China, Nestlé’s two largest markets. There was 
also a step up in organic growth for the infant 
nutrition and confectionery businesses. PetCare, 
coffee and Nestlé Health Science continued to 
make significant contributions with sustained 
high growth. Organic growth for the Group  
was 1.6% in developed markets and 4.9% in 
emerging markets.

Underlying Trading operating profit
Underlying Trading operating profit increased by 
5.1% to CHF 15.5 billion. The Underlying Trading 
operating profit margin increased by 50 basis 
points in constant currency and on a reported 
basis to 17.0%.

Margin expansion was supported by 
operational efficiencies, structural cost 
reductions and improved mix, which more than 
offset higher distribution expenses. Overall, 
the impact of commodity costs was broadly 
neutral, as increases in Zone AMS and Nestlé 
Waters were compensated by decreases in the 
other geographies and categories. Consumer-
facing marketing expenses increased by 1.3% in 
constant currency.

Underlying Trading operating profit and Trading operating profit
In millions of CHF 

In % of sales

14 771

15 521

13 277

13 789

16.5%

17.0%

14.8%

15.1%

2017 *

2018

2017 *

2018

P	 Underlying Trading operating profit
P	 Trading operating profit

* 

 2017 figures have been restated, see Foreword on page 44.

Underlying Trading operating 
profit by operating segment
In % of sales

Trading operating profit
by operating segment
In % of sales

%
8
.
2
2

%
1
.
1
2

%
0
.
9
1

%
5
.
6
1

%
0
.
1
1

%
2
.
1
2

%
6
.
9
1

%
2
.
7
1

%
6
.
4
1

%
7
.
8

P	 Zone AMS
P	 Zone EMENA
P	 Zone AOA
P  Nestlé Waters
P	 Other businesses (a)

(a)   Mainly Nespresso, Nestlé Health Science,  

Nestlé Skin Health and Gerber Life Insurance.

45

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Group overview

Restructuring expenses and net other 

trading items increased by CHF 238 million to 
CHF 1.7 billion. This was mainly due to higher 
impairments and other restructuring-related 
expenses. Trading operating profit increased by 
3.9% to CHF 13.8 billion. The Trading operating 
profit margin increased by 30 basis points on a 
reported basis to 15.1%.

Net financial expenses and Income tax
Net financial expenses grew by 9.3% to 
CHF 761 million, largely reflecting an increase in 
net debt.

The Group tax rate decreased by 280 basis 
points to 26.5%. The underlying tax rate declined 
by 320 basis points to 23.8%, mainly as a result of 
the United States tax reform.

Net profit and Earnings per share
Net profit grew by 41.6% to CHF 10.1 billion, 
and Earnings per share increased by 45.5% to 
CHF 3.36. Net profit benefited from several large 
one-off items, including income from the disposal 
of businesses. The increase was also supported by 
the improved operating performance.

Underlying earnings per share increased by 

13.9% in constant currency and by 13.1% on  
a reported basis to CHF 4.02. Nestlé’s share 
buyback program contributed 2.0% to the 
underlying earnings per share increase, net of 
finance costs.

Cash flow
Free cash flow grew by 15% and reached 
CHF 10.8 billion. The increase resulted mainly from 
higher operating profit, improved working capital 
and disciplined capital expenditure.

Share buyback program
During 2018, the Group repurchased 
CHF 6.8 billion of Nestlé shares. As of 
December 31, 2018, the Group had implemented 
CHF 10.3 billion (52%) of Nestlé’s CHF 20 billion 
share buyback program announced in 2017.  
In light of strong free cash flow generation, 
Nestlé intends to complete its current program 
six months ahead of schedule by the end of 
December 2019.

46

Evolution of the Nestlé S.A. share in 2018

In CHF

85.00

80.00

75.00

70.00

100.0%

95.0%

90.0%

85.0%

| 

| 

| 
| 
J  F  M  A  M  J 

| 

| 

| 

| 

| 
|
J  A  S  O  N  D

| 

| 

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

Earnings per share
in CHF

Operating cash flow
in billions of CHF

3.36

14.2

15.4

2.31

2017 *

2018

2017 *

2018

* 

 2017 figures have been restated, see Foreword on page 44.

Dividend per share
in CHF

2.30

2.25

2.20

2.45

2.35

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Nestlé Annual Review 2018 
 
Net debt
Net debt increased to CHF 30.3 billion as at 
December 31, 2018, compared to CHF 21.4 billion 
at the end of 2017. The increase largely reflected 
share buybacks of CHF 6.8 billion completed 
during 2018, and a net cash outflow of 
CHF 5.2 billion on acquisitions and divestments.

Return on invested capital
The Group’s return on invested capital increased 
to 12.1%. The improvement was the result of 
lower goodwill impairment, improved operating 
performance and disciplined capital allocation.

Dividend
The Board of Directors is proposing a dividend  
of CHF 2.45 per share, up from CHF 2.35 last year.

Outlook
Continued improvement in organic sales 
growth and Underlying Trading operating profit 
margin toward our 2020 targets. Restructuring 
costs (1) are expected at around CHF 700 million. 
Underlying earnings per share in constant 
currency and capital efficiency are expected to 
increase.

(1)  Not including impairment of fixed assets, litigation and  

onerous contracts.

Sales, employees and factories by geographic area

AMS
EMENA (a)
AOA

Sales

Employees

Factories

2017 *

45.3%

29.1%

25.6%

2018

44.9%

29.4%

25.7%

2017

33.5%

33.9%

32.6%

2018

33.9%

34.1%

32.0%

2017

 158 

 146 

 109 

2018

 159 

 146 

 108 

 2017 figures have been restated, see Foreword on page 44.

* 
(a)  9666 employees in Switzerland in 2018.

Employees by activity

In thousands

Factories 

Administration and sales

Total

2017

164

159

323

2018

152   

156   

308 

47

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Product category and operating segment review

In millions of CHF

Powdered and Liquid Beverages
Soluble coffee/coffee systems

Other

Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

Water
Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

Milk products and Ice cream
Milk products

Ice cream

Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

Nutrition and Health Science
Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

Prepared dishes and cooking aids
Frozen and chilled

Culinary and other

Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

Confectionery
Chocolate

Sugar confectionery

Biscuits

Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

PetCare
Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

2017 *

2018

Proportion of total sales (%)

RIG (%)

OG (%)

9 265 

9 314 

11 123 

12 306 

20 388 

21 620 

4 478 

4 319 

4 898 

4 572 

7 382 

7 409 

978 

915 

775 

603 

10 751 

10 507 

2 679 

2 710 

13 430 

13 217 

2 515 

2 333 

2 521 

2 412 

15 247 

16 188 

3 063 

2 539 

3 337 

2 826 

6 130 

5 808 

6 105 

5 960 

11 938 

12 065 

2 108 

1 938 

2 176 

2 044 

6 362 

1 098 

1 339 

8 799 

1 393 

1 243 

6 031 

812 

1 280 

8 123 

1 403 

1 291 

12 406 

12 817 

2 673 

2 621 

2 768 

2 572 

43.1%

56.9%

22.7%

21.1%

10.5%

8.1%

79.5%

20.5%

19.1%

18.2%

20.6%

17.5%

50.6%

49.4%

18.0%

16.9%

74.2%

10.0%

15.8%

17.3%

15.9%

21.6%

20.1%

+ 2.5%

+ 3.3%

– 0.6%

+ 2.3%

+ 1.3%

+ 1.8%

+ 4.5%

+ 4.6%

+ 1.2%

+ 1.2%

+ 3.2%

+ 2.7%

+ 3.5%

+ 4.5%

* 

 2017 figures have been restated, see Foreword on page 44.

48

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Zone Americas (AMS)

Sales

Organic growth

Real internal growth

Underlying Trading operating profit margin

CHF 31.0 billion

+ 2.0%

+ 1.3%

21.1%

Underlying Trading operating profit margin + 50 basis points

Trading operating profit margin

19.6%

Trading operating profit margin

+ 20 basis points

 – 2.0% organic growth: 1.3% RIG; 0.7% pricing.
 – North America saw positive organic growth,  

with positive RIG and pricing.

 – Latin America reported positive organic growth, 

comprised of a balance of RIG and pricing.

 – The Underlying Trading operating profit margin  

increased by 50 basis points to 21.1%.

Organic growth increased to 2.0%, supported by higher RIG 
of 1.3% following an acceleration in North America. Pricing 
remained soft at 0.7% but showed improved momentum 
in the second half of the year. Net acquisitions increased 
sales by 0.3%. Foreign exchange had a negative impact of 
3.2%. Reported sales in Zone AMS decreased by 0.9% to 
CHF 31.0 billion.

North America returned to positive growth in 2018, with 
strong momentum in the fourth quarter. This was supported 

Zone AMS 

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

Nutrition and Health Science

Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

Capital additions

2017 *

20 217 

11 038 

2018

20 540 

10 435 

3 356 

7 166 

5 606 

3 501 

8 641 

2 985 

4 057 

6 991 

5 541 

2 718 

8 783 

2 885 

31 255 

30 975 

6 425 

6 062 

1 941 

6 521 

6 078 

7 356 

* 

 2017 figures have been restated, see Foreword on page 44.

by continued solid growth in Purina petcare, particularly 
with Pro Plan, Fancy Feast and Tidycat, and the e-commerce 
channel. Coffee Mate creamers and Nestlé Professional 
also maintained high growth. The infant nutrition business 
returned to positive growth in the fourth quarter. The 
licensed Starbucks business was smoothly integrated and 
saw strong demand for its coffee products. Growth in frozen 
food, including pizza, was flat.

Latin America posted positive organic growth with broad-

based contributions from most categories. Momentum 
improved sequentially in each quarter of the year, with 
mid single-digit growth in the fourth quarter, helped 
by increased pricing. In Brazil the trading environment 
remained challenging. The market returned to positive 
organic growth in the second half of the year, with stronger 
pricing and an acceleration across most categories, 
especially in confectionery and infant nutrition. Mexico 
maintained consistent mid single-digit organic growth, with 
a strong contribution from Nescafé and NAN infant formula. 
Purina petcare, with sales in excess of CHF 1 billion in Latin 
America, reported another year of double-digit growth.

The Zone’s Underlying Trading operating profit margin 

improved by 50 basis points as ongoing restructuring 
projects reduced structural costs. Operational efficiencies 
and pricing helped to offset significant cost increases  
from commodity and freight inflation, as well as  
foreign exchange.

Proportion of total sales (%)

RIG (%)

OG (%)

66.3%

33.7%

13.1%

22.5%

17.9%

8.8%

28.4%

9.3%

21.1%

19.6%

23.7%

+ 1.3%

+ 2.0%

49

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Zone Europe, Middle East and North Africa (EMENA)

Zone EMENA maintained solid organic growth in 

2018. RIG was resilient and positive across all subregions. 
The trading environment in Western Europe remained 
deflationary, resulting in negative pricing. The Zone’s growth 
was mainly driven by Purina petcare, infant nutrition and 
Nestlé Professional. Premium products, representing 22% 
of the Zone’s sales, saw strong growth of around 10%. 
This strong momentum came from products such as Felix 
and Gourmet cat food, as well as NAN infant formula with 
Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs). Nescafé posted 
positive growth in spite of lower coffee commodity prices 
and a challenging competitive environment. Confectionery 
had positive growth supported by innovation. The new 
all-natural, vegetarian and gluten-free snack bar Yes! was 
launched in September.

The Zone’s Underlying Trading operating profit margin 

increased by 80 basis points. This improvement was 
supported by product mix, structural cost savings, 
operational efficiencies and lower commodity costs.

Sales

Organic growth

Real internal growth

Underlying Trading operating profit margin

CHF 18.9 billion

+ 1.9%

+ 2.6%

19.0%

Underlying Trading operating profit margin + 80 basis points

Trading operating profit margin

17.2%

Trading operating profit margin

+ 40 basis points

 – 1.9% organic growth: 2.6% RIG; –0.7% pricing.
 – Western Europe posted positive RIG. Pricing declined 

resulting in negative organic growth.

 – Central and Eastern Europe maintained mid single-digit 
organic growth, mainly driven by RIG. Pricing was  
also positive.

 – Middle East and North Africa saw continued mid  

single-digit organic growth. RIG and pricing were positive.

 – The Underlying Trading operating profit margin grew  

by 80 basis points to 19.0%.

Organic growth was 1.9%, supported by solid RIG at 2.6%. 
Pricing declined by 0.7% as deflationary trends continued 
to affect the food and retail sectors across most markets in 
Western Europe. Net acquisitions increased sales by 0.1%. 
Foreign exchange increased sales by 0.5%. Reported sales 
in Zone EMENA increased by 2.5% to CHF 18.9 billion.

Zone EMENA 

In millions of CHF

Western

Eastern and Central

Middle East and North Africa

Powdered and Liquid Beverages

Milk products and Ice cream

Prepared dishes and cooking aids

Confectionery

PetCare

Nutrition and Health Science

Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

Capital additions

2017 *

11 448 

3 486 

3 544 

5 108 

1 061 

3 885 

3 226 

3 227 

1 971 

2018

11 791 

3 570 

3 571 

5 154 

1 067 

3 923 

3 293 

3 466 

2 029 

18 478 

18 932 

3 354 

3 111 

1 021 

3 590 

3 251 

1 422 

Proportion of total sales (%)

RIG (%)

OG (%)

62.3%

18.8%

18.9%

27.2%

5.7%

20.7%

17.4%

18.3%

10.7%

19.0%

17.2%

7.5%

+ 2.6%

+ 1.9%

* 

 2017 figures have been restated, see Foreword on page 44.

50

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Zone Asia, Oceania and sub‑Saharan Africa (AOA)

Sales

Organic growth

Real internal growth

Underlying Trading operating profit margin

CHF 21.3 billion

+ 4.3%

+ 3.6%

22.8%

Underlying Trading operating profit margin + 60 basis points

Trading operating profit margin

21.2%

Trading operating profit margin

– 20 basis points

 – 4.3% organic growth: 3.6% RIG; 0.7% pricing.
 – China posted mid single-digit organic growth, 

significantly higher than the prior year.

 – South-East Asia reported mid single-digit organic growth, 

with positive RIG and pricing.

 – South Asia saw mid single-digit organic growth,  

with strong RIG and positive pricing.

Reported sales in Zone AOA increased by 2.2% to 
CHF 21.3 billion.

Zone AOA maintained consistent mid single-digit organic 
growth. China saw improved growth compared to 2017. This 
was supported by innovations in infant nutrition, coffee and 
culinary, as well as strong growth in e-commerce. South-
East Asia posted solid growth underpinned by double-digit 
growth in Vietnam and Indonesia, led by Milo and Bear 
Brand in particular. Robust growth in South Asia was based 
on strong momentum for Maggi, Nescafé and KitKat, with 
several new product launches. Sub-Saharan Africa posted 
mid single-digit growth despite a lower contribution from 
pricing. Japan and Oceania reported positive growth 
with successful launches of Nescafé Gold and KitKat Gold 
in Australia. Overall for the Zone, infant nutrition, Purina 
petcare and Nestlé Professional grew mid single-digit, 
helped by a strong performance in the second half.

 – Sub-Saharan Africa had mid single-digit organic growth 

The Zone’s Underlying Trading operating profit margin 

with a balance of positive RIG and pricing.

 – Japan and Oceania reported low single-digit growth. 
Positive RIG was partially offset by negative pricing.

 – The Underlying Trading operating profit margin increased 

by 60 basis points to 22.8%.

Organic growth was strong at 4.3%, comprised of 3.6% RIG 
and 0.7% pricing. Acquisitions and divestments had no 
impact on sales. Foreign exchange reduced sales by 2.1%.  

Zone AOA

In millions of CHF

ASEAN markets

Oceania and Japan

Other Asian markets

Sub‑Saharan Africa

Powdered and Liquid Beverages

Milk products and Ice cream

Prepared dishes and cooking aids

Confectionery

PetCare

Nutrition and Health Science

Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

Capital additions

2017 *

6 423 

3 036 

8 997 

2 422 

5 953 

5 192 

2 443 

2 014 

539 

4 737 

2018

6 563 

3 036 

9 309 

2 423 

6 086 

5 149 

2 599 

2 056 

568 

4 873 

20 878 

21 331 

4 644 

4 468 

770 

4 866 

4 514 

1 103 

* 

 2017 figures have been restated, see Foreword on page 44.

improved by 60 basis points, supported by operational 
efficiencies, pricing and volume leverage.

Proportion of total sales (%)

RIG (%)

OG (%)

30.8%

14.2%

43.6%

11.4%

28.5%

24.1%

12.2%

9.6%

2.7%

22.9%

22.8%

21.2%

5.2%

+ 3.6%

+ 4.3%

51

Nestlé Annual Review 2018contributions to growth from the international premium 
brands S.Pellegrino and Perrier, the launch of sparkling 
spring waters such as Poland Spring and Zephyrhills, as well 
as the Direct-to-Consumer business, ReadyRefresh. Europe 
saw positive growth following a return to mid single-digit 
growth in the second half of the year, most notably in the 
UK and France. The international premium sparkling brands, 
S.Pellegrino and Perrier, maintained good growth.
The Underlying Trading operating profit margin 

decreased by 200 basis points. Profitability was impacted 
by higher PET packaging and distribution costs. These were 
only partly offset by operational efficiencies, structural cost 
reduction and price increases taken in June 2018.

Nestlé Waters

Sales

Organic growth

Real internal growth

Underlying Trading operating profit margin

CHF 7.9 billion

+ 2.1%

– 0.6%

11.0%

Underlying Trading operating profit margin – 200 basis points

Trading operating profit margin

8.7%

Trading operating profit margin

– 350 basis points

 – 2.1% organic growth: –0.6% RIG; 2.7% pricing.
 – North America saw increased pricing and declining RIG.
 – Europe saw positive RIG and slightly negative pricing.
 – Emerging markets posted low single-digit organic 

growth, driven by pricing.

 – The Underlying Trading operating profit margin  

decreased by 200 basis points to 11.0%.

Organic growth was 2.1%. Pricing improved to 2.7%, mainly 
due to price increases in North America. This was partially 
offset by a RIG decline of 0.6%, also attributable to North 
America. Net acquisitions reduced sales by 1.0%. Foreign 
exchange had a negative impact on sales of 1.2%. Reported 
sales in Nestlé Waters were CHF 7.9 billion.

In North America growth was supported by price 
increases in the United States, reflecting significant cost 
inflation in packaging and distribution. There were strong 

Nestlé Waters

In millions of CHF

Europe

United States and Canada

Other regions

Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

Capital additions

* 

 2017 figures have been restated, see Foreword on page 44.

2017 *

1 980 

4 344 

1 558 

7 882 

1 022 

958 

702 

2018

2 088 

4 357 

1 433 

7 878 

865 

683 

884 

Proportion of total sales (%)

RIG (%)

OG (%)

26.5%

55.3%

18.2%

11.0%

8.7%

11.2%

– 0.6%

+ 2.1%

52

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Other businesses

Sales

Organic growth

Real internal growth

Underlying Trading operating profit margin

CHF 12.3 billion

+ 5.7%

+ 5.4%

16.5%

Underlying Trading operating profit margin + 60 basis points

Trading operating profit margin

14.6%

Trading operating profit margin

+ 280 basis points

 – 5.7% organic growth: 5.4% RIG; 0.3% pricing.
 – Nespresso maintained mid single-digit organic growth, 

with very strong momentum in North America.

 – Nestlé Health Science posted mid single-digit growth, 

driven by strong RIG.

 – Nestlé Skin Health saw mid single-digit organic growth. 

RIG was positive but pricing was slightly negative.

 – The Underlying Trading operating profit margin of Other 

businesses increased by 60 basis points to 16.5%.

Organic growth of 5.7% was supported by strong RIG 
of 5.4% and pricing of 0.3%. Net acquisitions increased 
reported sales by 5.6% and foreign exchange had a negative 
0.2% impact. Reported sales in Other businesses increased 
by 11.1% to CHF 12.3 billion.

Nespresso reported consistent mid single-digit growth, 

with positive growth across all regions. North America 

and emerging markets grew double-digit. Momentum 
was supported by innovation, with strong demand for the 
recently launched Master Origin range and the latest limited 
edition coffees inspired by Parisian cafés. Vertuo, a versatile 
coffee system with five capsule sizes, gained further 
traction globally and is now available in fourteen markets 
worldwide. Nespresso continued to expand its distribution 
and global footprint throughout the year, reaching 
792 boutiques. Nestlé Health Science delivered mid single-
digit growth supported by medical nutrition and consumer 
care products. Atrium Innovations grew double-digit, with 
continued strong demand for its innovative, non-GMO, 
organic and natural offerings. Nestlé Skin Health posted mid 
single-digit growth.

The Underlying Trading operating profit margin of Other 

businesses increased by 60 basis points. This was mainly 
due to an improvement in Nestlé Skin Health and Nespresso.

Other businesses (a)
In millions of CHF

Total sales

Underlying Trading operating profit 

Trading operating profit

Capital additions 

2017 *

2018

11 097 

12 323 

1 763 

1 309 

1 712 

2 036 

1 794 

3 593 

 2017 figures have been restated, see Foreword on page 44.

* 
(a)   Mainly Nespresso, Nestlé Health Science, Nestlé Skin Health and Gerber Life Insurance.

RIG (%)

+ 5.4%

OG (%)

+ 5.7%

16.5%

14.6%

29.2%

53

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Principal risks and uncertainties

Group Risk Management
The Group adopts a risk profile aligned to our 
purpose and business strategy. We aim to create 
long-term value through a balance of sustainable 
growth and resource efficiency. Our culture and 
values, rooted in respect for ourselves, for others, 
for diversity and for the future, guide our decisions 
and actions. Our creating shared value approach 
helps to prioritize those areas which maximize 
value creation for shareholders and cultivate 
positive societal and environmental impacts.

The Nestlé Group Enterprise Risk Management 

(ERM) framework is designed to assess 
and mitigate risks in order to minimize their 
potential impact on the Group and support the 
achievement of Nestlé’s long-term purpose 
and business strategy. A top-down assessment 
is performed at Group level once a year to 
create a good understanding of the company’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 resulting in the aggregation of individual 
assessments by all Markets and Globally-Managed 
Businesses. Additionally, Nestlé engages with 
external stakeholders to better understand the 
issues that are of most concern to them. For 
each issue, the materiality matrix (included in 
the Nestlé in society report) rates the degree 
of stakeholder concern and potential business 
impact. These different risk mappings allow the 
Group to make sound decisions on the future 
operations of the company.

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 required, 
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, half-yearly to the 
Audit Committee, and reported annually to the 
Board of Directors.

The factors identified below are considered the 
most relevant for our business and performance. 
Many of the long-term mitigation strategies are 
expanded on in our Nestlé in society report.

54

Factors affecting results
Maintaining high levels of trust with consumers 
is essential for Nestlé’s success. 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 to ensure high-quality products  
and prevention of health risks arising from 
handling, preparation and storage throughout  
the value chain.

The success of the Nestlé Group depends on 
its ability to anticipate consumer preferences and 
to offer high-quality, competitive, relevant and 
innovative products. Our Nutrition, Health  
and Wellness strategy aims to enhance people’s 
lives at all stages through industry-leading 
research and development to drive innovation and 
the continuous improvement of our portfolio.

Prolonged negative perceptions concerning 

health implications of processed food and 
beverages categories could lead to an increase in 
regulation of the industry and may also influence 
consumer preferences. The Group has long-term 
objectives in place to apply scientific and 
nutritional know-how to enhance nutrition, health 
and wellness, contributing to healthier eating, 
drinking and lifestyle habits, as well as improve 
the accessibility of safe and affordable food.

Changing customer relationships and channel 

landscape may inhibit our growth if we fail 
to maintain strong engagements or adapt to 
changing customer needs. Our strategy is  
to maintain and develop strong relationships  
with customers across the world to help them  
win in their respective prioritized categories 
where we operate.

Nestlé is dependent on the sustainable supply 

of a number of raw and packaging materials. 
Longer-term changes in weather patterns; 
water shortages; shifts in production patterns; 
economic and social inequality in supply chains, 
etc., could result in capacity constraints, as well 
as reputational damage. The Group has long-term 
commitments to promote better agricultural 
practices, support rural development in line with 
local priorities and address supply chain issues 
from gender inequality to deforestation. Progress 
against these commitments is monitored to 

Nestlé Annual Review 2018ensure positive social and environmental impacts 
along with delivering our own growth strategy.
Nestlé manages risks related to climate 
change and water resources. Our long-term 
commitments and strategies on climate change 
and water are available in Nestlé’s response 
to the CDP Climate Change report and Water 
questionnaires in the Nestlé in society report.

The Group is subject to environmental regimes 

applied in all countries where it operates and 
has controls in place to comply with legislation 
concerning the protection 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 reliant on the procurement of 

materials, manufacturing and supply of finished 
goods for all product categories. A major event 
impacting input prices, or in one of Nestlé’s key 
plants, at a key supplier, contract manufacturer, 
co-packer, and/or warehouse facility could 
potentially lead to a supply disruption. Active 
price-risk management on key commodities and 
business continuity plans are established and 
regularly maintained in order to mitigate against 
such events.

The investment choices of the Group evolve 

over time and may include investments in 
emerging technologies; new business models; 
expansion into new geographies; and creation 
of, or entry into, new categories. This may result 
in broader exposures for the Group. The Group’s 
investment choices are aligned with our strategy 
and prioritized based on the potential to create 
value over the long term.

As part of the strategy, the Group undertakes 

business transformations such as large-scale 
change management projects, mergers 
and acquisitions. To ensure the realization 
of the anticipated benefits of them, these 
transformations receive executive sponsorship 
with aligned targets, as well as appropriate  
levels of resource to support successful execution 
of them.

The ability to attract and retain skilled, talented 

employees is critical to achieving our strategy. 
Our initiatives and processes aim to sustain a 
high-performance culture, supported by a total 

awards approach and people development that 
emphasizes diversity, innovation and growth.

Nestlé is subject to health and safety regimes 

in all countries where it operates. Nestlé has 
procedures in place to comply with legislation 
concerning the protection of the health and 
welfare of employees and contractors, as well as 
long-term initiatives to promote safe and healthy 
employee behaviors.

Failure to act with integrity or behavior that 

is inconsistent with the expectations of our 
stakeholders may adversely impact our corporate 
reputation and brands. The Group’s Corporate 
Business Principles and Code of Conduct outline 
our commitment to integrity and the corporate 
compliance program defines the framework and 
coordinates assurance processes.

The Group depends on accurate, timely 
data along with increasing integration of digital 
solutions, services and models, both internal and 
external. The threat of cyber attacks disrupting 
the reliability, security and privacy of data, as well 
as the IT infrastructure, continues to increase. 
Contingency plans along with policies and 
controls are in place aiming to protect and ensure 
compliance on both infrastructure and data.

The Group’s liquidities/liabilities (currency, 
interest rate, hedging, cost of capital, pension 
obligations/retirement benefits, banking/
commercial credit, etc.) could be impacted by any 
major event in the financial markets. Nestlé has the 
appropriate risk mitigation measures in place with 
strong governance to actively manage exposures 
and long-term asset and liability outlook.

Nestlé has factories in 85 countries and sales in 

190 countries. Security, political instability, legal 
and regulatory, fiscal, macroeconomic, foreign 
trade, labor and/or infrastructure risks could 
potentially impact Nestlé’s ability to do business 
in a country or region. Major events caused by 
natural hazards (such as flood, drought, infectious 
disease, etc.) 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. The Group-wide 
geographical and product category spread 
represents a tremendous natural hedge.

55

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Factories

Americas (AMS)

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Guatemala

Mexico

Nicaragua

Panama

Peru

Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Uruguay

Venezuela

6 P L P L P L P L P L
1

L

L

L

L P L

Algeria

L P L

L

Bahrain

17 P L P
P L P L P L P L P L
8 P L P L P L P L P L P L P L
9 P L
5 P L
1

L P L P L P L P L P L

L P L P L P L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

3

L P L P L

L

L

L P L

L P L

L P L P L P L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L
13 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

L P L

L

L

L P L P L P L P L

L

L

L

L
77 P L P L P L P L P L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

2

L
4 P L
2 P L

1 P L
2

L
1 P L
1 P L

1 P L
5 P L

L

L

L P L

L

L

Jordan

P L P L P L P L P L

Asia, Oceania and sub‑Saharan Africa (AOA)

Angola

Australia

Bangladesh

Cameroon

Côte d’Ivoire

Ethiopia

Ghana

1

L
7 P L
1 P L
1 P L
2 P L
1

1 P L

P L

L

L

L P

L P

P

L P L P L

L P L

P L

L

L

L P L P L P L P L P L

L P L P

L

Republic of Serbia

Greater China Region 32 P L P L P L P L P L P L P L
India

P L P L P L

P

7 P L
3 P L
3 P L
1 P L
7 P L
1 P L
2

L

L P L P L

L

L

L P L P

P L P L

L P L P L P L

L

L P L P L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

3 P L P
4 P L P
1 P L
5 P L
1 P L P L
1

P L P

P

P L P L P

P L

L P L

L P L P L P L

L

L

L

L P L P L P L P L

L

L P

L P L

L P L P L

L
2 P L
5 P L
1 P L
8 P L P L P L P L P L
6 P L P L P L P L P L
1 P L

P L P L P L

L P

L P

L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

Indonesia

Japan

Kenya

Malaysia

Myanmar

New Zealand

Nigeria

Pakistan

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Republic of Korea

Senegal

Singapore

South Africa

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Vietnam

Zimbabwe

56

L

L

L P L P L P L

United Arab Emirates

Europe, Middle East and North Africa (EMENA)

Belgium

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Denmark

Egypt

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iran

Iraq 

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Lebanon

Morocco

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Romania

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Slovak Republic

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Syria

Tunisia

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

Uzbekistan

2 P L P
1

L P L

1

1

3

1

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L P L

L P L P L

L P L

L

L

2 P L P L P L P L P
2

L P L P L
19 P L P L P L	 P L P L
14 P L

L

P L

L

L P L

L P L P L P L P L P L

2 P L P L
2 P L
2 P L P
1

L

L

L

L

L	

L

L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L P L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

1

L
9 P L
9

L P L

1

2

L P L

L P L

1 P L
1

L

L P L

L P L P L P

P L

L

L

L

L P L P L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L P L

L

L

L
L P L
5 P L P L P L P L P L P L P L
2 P L
1

L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

1 P L
1 P L
6 P L
7

L

L

L

L

L P L P L

L

L P L

L

L

L P L P L P L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

1

L

L
10 P L P L P L P L P L P L P L

L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L P L P L P L

2 P L
L
11 P L P L
1

L

P L

L
1 P L
3 P L P L
3 P L
L
3 P L P L P L
10 P L P L P L

L

L

1

L P

P L

L

L

L

L

L

L P

P L

L

L P L

L P L P L

L

L

L P L P L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

The figure in black after the 
country denotes the number  
of factories.
P   Local production (may 
represent production 
in several factories).
L   Imports (may, in a few 

particular cases, represent 
purchases from third parties 
in the market concerned).

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

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Corporate Governance 
and Compliance

Nestlé Annual Review 2018

57
57

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Corporate Governance

Our Board of Directors is highly engaged and 
dedicated to creating long-term, sustainable value 
based on strong principles of governance and 
an appropriate tone from the top. Our corporate 
governance framework is carefully constructed, 
and continually evaluated and updated, to ensure 
that it promotes accountability and supports our 
strategy to foster long-term value and sustainable 
growth for the benefit of all shareholders.
In 2018, our Board of Directors and 

management continued to evolve our strategy 
and governance to anticipate and reflect 
changing global consumer preferences and offer 
high-quality, competitive, relevant and innovative 
products. As part of this effort, we have been 
driving growth through innovation with significant 
investments in R&D. In addition to our organic 
growth strategy, our Board and management 
have taken an active role in streamlining Nestlé’s 
portfolio to focus on high-growth, high-margin 
businesses, and we will continue to rigorously 
review our business mix for further opportunities 
to drive profitable growth and shareholder value. 
To ensure that our incentive plans promote the 
execution of our strategy, we have updated our 
executive compensation plan to introduce Return 
on Invested Capital (ROIC) as a performance 
measure. Tying compensation to returns promotes 
the efficient use of capital and M&A discipline.
The Board also reconfirmed Nestlé’s value 

creation model delivering both top- and  
bottom- line growth, as well as capital efficiency 
to drive continuous long-term shareholder 
value creation. We continue to deliver on our 
commitments to execute the proven Nutrition, 
Health and Wellness (NHW) strategy and 
promoting a prudent approach toward capital 
allocation and M&A. We also remain focused 
on executing on our CHF 20 billion repurchase 
program and sustainable dividend policy. To date, 
our strategy has yielded strong, consistent results 
for our shareholders, as reflected in our short- 
and long-term outperformance of the STOXX 
1800 Food & Beverage index. CHF 104 billion 
cash was returned to shareholders since 2009 
including CHF 40 billion in share buybacks and 
CHF 64 billion in dividends.

Our Board’s recent actions to create sustained 

value also include continued efforts to enhance 

58

the composition of the Board. As a truly global 
business, we have always felt that constructing 
a diverse board—including but not limited to 
diversity in background, geography, experience, 
ethnicity and gender—is critical to our ability to 
effectively oversee the direction of our company. 
In 2018, we nominated three new independent 
directors, each of whom was elected by our 
shareholders at our 2018 Annual Meeting. Since 
2015, we have strengthened the Board through 
the addition of seven new independent directors 
with unique depth of experience and expertise 
that is directly relevant for Nestlé and aligned 
with our strategy. To this end, we will continue 
to maintain a long-term approach to board 
refreshment and succession planning to ensure 
that our Board has the right mix of backgrounds, 
skills and expertise to understand the trajectory 
of our business and drive a winning strategy that 
creates value for all of our shareholders.

Intense engagement with our shareholders 
through our roadshows, investor meetings and 
analyst calls has sharpened our focus on our 
core priorities and strategic vision. In 2018, we 
visited 23 cities and attended 488 meetings 
representing 1148 investors. Moreover, our 
shareholder engagement effort continues to be 
highlighted by our Chairman’s Roundtables that 
we held this past year in Hong Kong, Frankfurt, 
Paris, Zurich, London, New York and Tokyo. The 
Board and management will continue to seek and 
incorporate feedback to ensure we are acting in 
the best interests of our shareholders.

Our Chairman’s and Corporate Governance 

Committee acts as a consultant body to  
the Chairman and CEO, and regularly reviews  
aspects of our governance, as well as asset  
and liability management.

Our Nomination and Sustainability Committee, 

chaired by our Lead Independent Director, 
evaluates Board composition, structure and 
succession planning. The Committee regularly 
assesses potential candidates for nomination  
to the Board in the coming years. It also reviews 
all aspects of our environmental and social 
sustainability policies.

Our Compensation Committee sets our 

remuneration principles and submits the 
proposals for remuneration of the Board and 

Nestlé Annual Review 2018the Executive Board to the Board and the 
AGM. It ensures the alignment of our values, 
strategies and performance management. Our 
compensation budgets and our compensation 
report are submitted to annual votes by  
our shareholders.

Our Audit Committee oversees internal and 
external audit, financial reporting, compliance 
and risk management. Our internal audit function 
was strengthened and our mandate for external 
audit was put up for tender.

We further integrated our public reporting on 

our financial and non-financial performance by 
including the highlights from our Nestlé in society 
report in our Annual Review. We recognize that 
for our company to be successful over time and 
create sustainable value for shareholders, we 
must also create value for society. We do this 
through our more than 2000 brands that enhance 
quality of life and contribute to a healthier future.

Share capital distribution by geography

P  United States 
P  Switzerland 
P  United Kingdom 
P  Germany 
P  Japan 
P  Canada 
P  Luxembourg 
P  Belgium 
P  Sweden 
P  China 
P  Others  

36.5% 
34.9% 
4.8%
4.7%
2.5%
2.1%
2.0%
1.9%
1.5%
1.1% 
8.0%

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

100% 

75% 

50% 

25% 

0% 

Institutions 

80%

Private Shareholders  20%

2002

2006

2010

2014 2018

(a)  Percentage derived from total number of registered shares. 
Registered shares represent 57.6% of the total share capital. 
Statistics are rounded, as at 31.12.2018.

59

Nestlé Annual Review 2018 
 
Board of Directors of Nestlé S.A.

Peter Brabeck‑Letmathe
Chairman Emeritus
David P. Frick 
Secretary to the Board
KPMG SA Geneva branch (1)
Independent auditors

Paul Bulcke

Beat Hess

Kasper Rorsted

U. Mark Schneider

Pablo Isla

Henri de Castries

Board of Directors  
of Nestlé S.A. 
at December 31, 2018

Paul Bulcke (1, 2, 4)
Chairman
U. Mark Schneider (1, 2)
Chief Executive Officer

60

Henri de Castries (1, 2, 4, 5)
Vice Chairman
Lead Independent Director
Former Chairman and CEO, AXA
Beat Hess (1, 2, 3)
Chairman, LafargeHolcim Ltd 
Former Group Legal Director,
Royal Dutch Shell plc.

Renato Fassbind (1, 2, 5)
Vice Chairman, Swiss Re AG
Jean‑Pierre Roth (1, 3)
Former Chairman, Geneva 
Cantonal Bank
Ann M. Veneman (1, 4)
Former Secretary, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 
and Executive Director, UNICEF

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Renato Fassbind

Ruth K. Oniang’o

Kimberly A. Ross

Ursula M. Burns

Eva Cheng

Jean‑Pierre Roth

Ann M. Veneman

Patrick Aebischer

Eva Cheng (1, 4, 5)
Former Chairwoman and CEO, 
Amway China & Southeast Asia
Ruth K. Oniang’o (1)
Professor of Food Science
and Nutrition
Patrick Aebischer (1, 3)
President Emeritus of the  
Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology Lausanne (EPFL)

Ursula M. Burns (1, 3)
Former Chairwoman and CEO, 
Xerox Corporation
Kasper Rorsted (1)
CEO adidas AG
Pablo Isla (1)
Chairman and CEO, Inditex
Kimberly A. Ross (1, 5)
Former CFO, Baker Hughes LLC,  
Avon Products Inc. and  
Royal Ahold N.V.

(1)  Term expires on the date of the
Annual General Meeting 2019.

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

Committee.

(5)  Audit Committee.

For further information on the Board of 
Directors, please refer to the Corporate 
Governance Report 2018.

61

Nestlé Annual Review 2018 
 
Executive Board of Nestlé S.A.

3

5

1

2

8

Executive Board of Nestlé S.A. 
at December 31, 2018

  1  U. Mark Schneider 

  2  Laurent Freixe 

  5  Wan Ling Martello 

EVP, CEO Zone United States 
of America, Canada, Latin 
America, Caribbean

EVP, CEO Zone Asia, Oceania, 
sub‑Saharan Africa
  6  Marco Settembri  

Chief Executive Officer

  3  Chris Johnson 

EVP, Human Resources and 
Business Services

EVP, CEO Zone Europe, 
Middle East, North Africa
  7  François‑Xavier Roger 

  8  Magdi Batato

EVP, Operations

  9  Stefan Palzer 

EVP, Innovation Technology, 
Research and Development

10  Maurizio Patarnello 

Deputy EVP, Nestlé Waters

  4  Patrice Bula 

EVP, Chief Financial Officer

11  Greg Behar 

EVP, Strategic Business Units, 
Marketing, Sales, Nespresso

CEO, Nestlé Health 
Science S.A.

62

Nestlé Annual Review 2018 
12

10

7

11

4

6

9

12  David P. Frick 

SVP, Corporate Governance, 
Compliance and Corporate  
Services

EVP: Executive Vice President
SVP: Senior Vice President
CEO: Chief Executive Officer

For further information on the  
Executive Board, please refer to the 
Corporate Governance Report 2018.

63

Nestlé Annual Review 2018will perform a new assessment to ensure that 
their compliance program remain relevant to the 
business needs. During the last 3 years more  
than 160 000 employees have been trained on  
our compliance foundations. Special initiatives 
related to WHO Code compliance and the 
prevention of harassment and discrimination.  
An annual compliance risk assessment regarding 
third party risks was performed by the Corporate 
Compliance Committee.

Our Compliance commitments and progress are 

externally shared in the Nestlé in society report.

Compliance

Compliance is the foundation of how we do 
business and a condition for creating shared 
value. Compliance at Nestlé not only refers to 
applicable laws but to Nestlé policies across 
all our Corporate Business Principles and our 
commitment to integrity as explained in our 
purpose and values and our Code of Business 
Conduct. Our clear commitments are fundamental 
to the success of our company.

Our Board of Directors and our Executive 
Board oversee and promote good practices 
throughout the company and oversee 
our corporate compliance program. Line 
management is supported by our dedicated 
corporate compliance function, which provides 
guidance and functional leadership, as well as by 
all other functions engaged in our holistic, risk- 
and principles-based compliance program. Our 
Corporate Compliance Committee defines the 
framework and coordinates assurance processes. 
Market Compliance Officers and Committees 
ensure a consistent approach across the Group 
and help identify local compliance priorities.

We monitor compliance though our corporate 

functions, our internal audit function and our 
external auditors. Through our CARE program, 
which relies on independent external auditors, 
we regularly assess specific aspects of our 
compliance. In 2018, 291 CARE audits  
were conducted and gaps addressed. The 
necessary training is provided in our internal 
Management School, at in-person trainings  
in the Markets, as well as through our e-learning 
tools. 48 741 employees performed our  
Code of Conduct training in 2018.

Our Integrity Reporting System and our  
‘Tell Us’ system allow us to address complaints 
from employees and external stakeholders. 
1837 complaints from employees and 
699 complaints from suppliers and other third 
parties were investigated and remedial action 
taken this year. Markets were supported with 
investigative guidelines and best practices.

All Markets confirmed a mature ‘fit for purpose’  

level in their local program (defined as more 
than 80% score in all categories), based on 
a self-assessment of the Market Compliance 
Programs by the local Compliance Committees. 
In 2019, the program will be updated and Markets 

64

Nestlé Annual Review 2018Shareholder information

Stock exchange listing
At December 31, 2018, 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.

April 11, 2019
152nd Annual General Meeting, 
Beaulieu Lausanne, 
Lausanne (Switzerland) 

April 12, 2019
Last trading day with entitlement to dividend

April 15, 2019
Ex-dividend date

April 17, 2019
Payment of the dividend

April 18, 2019
2019 First quarter sales figures

July 26, 2019
2019 Half-yearly Results

October 17, 2019
2019 Nine months sales figures

February 13, 2020
2019 Full Year Results

April 23, 2020
153rd Annual General Meeting, 
Beaulieu Lausanne,
Lausanne (Switzerland)

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
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 Review is 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

© 2019, Nestlé S.A., Cham and Vevey 
(Switzerland)

The Annual Report contains forward 
looking statements which reflect 
Management’s current views and 
estimates. The forward looking 
statements involve certain risks and 
uncertainties that could cause actual 
results to differ materially from those 
contained in the forward looking 
statements. Potential risks and 
uncertainties include such factors as 
general economic conditions, foreign 
exchange fluctuations, competitive 
product and pricing pressures,  
and regulatory developments.

The Annual Report is published in 
English, German and French. The 
English version is binding for the 
content.

The brands in italics are registered 
trademarks of the Nestlé Group.

Visual concept and design
Nestec Ltd., Corporate Identity  
& Design, with Gavillet & Cie

Photography
Sébastien Agnetti,  
Mareen Fischinger / Getty Images, 
Nestlé S.A.

Prepress
Images3 S.A. (Switzerland)

Printing
Genoud S.A. (Switzerland)

Paper
This report is printed on Lessebo 
Smooth White, a paper produced 
from well-managed forests and other 
controlled sources certified by the 
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Nestlé Annual Review 2018

65