A tip to an internal hotline exposed Nestlé's chief executive Laurent Freixe’s improper relationship with a direct report, leading to his ouster from the company, according to a new report.

The tipster on Nestlé's independent global reporting channel known as "Speak Up" was the first to expose Freixe's intimate relationship with a marketing executive, according to The Wall Street Journal.

While that tip served as the catalyst for Freixe's ouster, it wasn’t enough on its own to force his resignation.

The company had initially denied that there was any improper relationship taking place, the Journal reported. It took subsequent investigations, aided by additional hotline reports and a letter to the Nestlé chairman, for the company to finally dismiss its top executive , the Journal rep

See Full Page