Swiss food giant Nestle said Monday it had immediately removed CEO Laurent Freixe over an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate.

The multinational behind Nespresso coffee capsules and KitKat chocolate bars said Freixe's dismissal followed an investigation.

In a swift move, Nespresso CEO Philipp Navratil was appointed to take over by his fellow board members.

"The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate which breached Nestle's code of business conduct," a statement said.

The board said it had ordered an investigation overseen by chairman Paul Bulcke and lead independent director Pablo Isla, with the support of outside counsel.

"This was a necessary decision. Nestle's values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service," Bulcke said in a statement.