Philipp Navratil, the former Nespresso chief, was moved into Nestle’s ultimate top job as CEO earlier this month, following the sudden dismissal of Laurent Freixe for an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate.
A 30 year veteran of Nestle, Loeschen will take up the role as chief executive officer of Nespresso and member of the group executive board on November 1, 2025.
Premium coffee growth
Coffee has been a growth engine for Nestle over the last few years, and Nespresso is one of Nestle’s power brands thanks to its focus on the premium coffee market.
The division made CHF 6.4bn ($8bn USD) in sales in 2024.
Loeschen has been the CEO of Nespresso’s North American business since January 2020, which covers the US, Canada and Mexico.
He is credited with successfully leading the expansion of the Nespresso Vertuo system to grow at a double-digit rate and gain market share: a key product for Nestlé in a market where it competes with KDP and the Keurig system.
The Vertuo system allows consumers to access 35 different coffee varieties and create a range of coffees from short, long, iced, gourmet or event a functional ‘coffee+’ option with B12, ginseng or extra caffeine.
That is helping Nespresso attract new consumers into the category: particularly younger ones who favor cold coffee.
Limited editions and collaborations (such as Pantone’s Mediterranean Summer Campaign) have also helped create excitement around the brand.
Alfonso Gonzalez Loeschen
Alfonso Gonzalez Loeschen began his career at Nestlé in Mexico as an assistant marketing manager in 1992.
With a career spanning more than 30 years with Nestlé, he has held various leadership positions across geographies and business operations, including Mexico, Puerto Rico and the US.
Loeschen was previously Vice-President of Marketing for the Beverage Division of Nestlé USA , General Manager for Nestlé in Puerto Rico, and Nespresso's Chief Marketing Officer.
Loeschen holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico.
In Europe, however, Loeschen will be expected to address underperformance of the Nespresso brand, which posted flat growth in FY2024. Nespresso has already identified the need to focus on increasing availability and visibility of the brand to improve performance.
Commenting on Loeschen’s appointment, Philipp Navratil, CEO of Nestlé, said: “We look forward to working with Alfonso to advance our growth strategy for Nespresso. His extensive expertise and deep understanding of the portioned coffee category, along with Alfonso’s results-focused approach and talent to inspire teams, will enable him to drive performance and execution”.