ZURICH (Reuters) - The chairman of Nestle, the world's largest food group, will undergo treatment for a curable illness but this will not affect his ability to carry out his job, the company said.
In a brief statement published late on Friday, the Swiss company said Peter Brabeck-Letmathe had been diagnosed with a curable illness and would need periodic medical treatment over the next six months.
The 69-year-old Austrian is also chairman of motor racing business Formula One.
The Vevey-based firm said the board of directors had been informed of Brabeck-Letmathe's illness on Thursday. A spokesman declined to give further details on what the illness was.
"This does not affect Mr Brabeck-Letmathe's ability to carry out his role as chairman of the Nestle Board of Directors and he will continue to fully exercise his duties during the treatment period," Nestle said.
Brabeck-Letmathe served as chief executive of the maker of KitKat chocolate bars and Nespresso portioned coffee from 1997 until 2008.
He said in a newspaper interview published last week that he would step down as chairman in 2017.
A keen climber and skier, Brabeck has also campaigned to goad world leaders into action to try to avert a looming crisis over water supplies.
(Reporting by Caroline Copley; Editing by Anthony Barker)
Nestlé S.A. is the world's leading agri-food group. Net sales break down by category of products as follows:
- powdered and liquid beverages (26.7%): soluble coffees (Nescafé and Starbucks brands), coffee in capsules (Nespresso), chocolate drinks (Nesquik, Milo, etc.), tea drinks (Nestea), etc.;
- pet food (20.3%): brands such as Purina, Friskies, Felix, etc.;
- pharmaceutical, nutrition and well-being products (16.4%): nutritional supplements (Resource, Boost, Nutren, Optifast, Peptamen brands, etc.), infant and maternal nutrition products (NAN, illuma, Cerelac, Nido, Gerber), ketogenic beverages (BrainXpert), (Nesquick, Fitness, Cheerios, Lion, etc.), etc.;
- ready meals and seasoning products (12.5%): frozen and chilled dishes (Lean Cuisine, Hot Pockets and Stouffer's brands), soups (Maggi), etc.;
- dairy products and ice cream (11.8%): powdered milk, sweetened condensed milk, yoghurt and cream desserts, ice cream (Nido, Nesvita, Carnation, La Laitière, Coffee Mate, Nestlé Ice Cream, Dreyers, Häagen-Dazs, Extrême brands, etc.);
- chocolates, sweets and biscuits (8.7%): Kit Kat, Smarties, Cailler, Terrafertil, etc. brands;
- bottled waters (3.6%): Nestlé Pure Life, Vittel, Perrier, S. Pellegrino, etc. brands.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: Switzerland (1.2%), France (3.8%), the United Kingdom (3.8%), Germany (2.4%), Europe (12.8%), the United States and Canada (35%), China (5.9%), Asia and Oceania (21.4%) and Latin America (13.7%).