Former Nestlé CEO To Lead the World Economic Forum

Remember, Nestlé once said that water was not a human right. Brabeck’s appointment proves that the WEF puts corporate interests above the needs of ordinary citizens.

From The European Conservative

By Javier Villamor

Brabeck’s appointment reinforces one of the longstanding criticisms of the Forum: its alignment with corporate interests above the needs of ordinary citizens.

Klaus Schwab, founder and central figure of the World Economic Forum (WEF), has announced his departure from the role of Chairman of the Board, a position he has held since establishing the organization in 1971. The announcement, made public on April 21st, comes at a delicate moment for the institution, following the launch of an internal investigation into Schwab’s management of resources and governance structures involving his family circle.

The interim leadership will be assumed by Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, former Chairman and CEO of Nestlé, who has been a member of the WEF board for years. Brabeck is well-known for his controversial views on water management. On several occasions, he has stated that water should be considered an economic resource subject to regulation and commercialization as it is a “precious resource.”

Brabeck’s appointment reinforces one of the longstanding criticisms of the Forum: its alignment with corporate interests above the needs of ordinary citizens. Nestlé has been repeatedly accused of exploiting water resources in developing countries, alongside a policy of water privatization that has generated public outrage in various social and environmental sectors.

Since its inception in 1971, the World Economic Forum has evolved from a meeting of economic and business experts into the premier showcase of the globalist elite. Every year, the small Swiss town of Davos hosts heads of state, bankers, top executives from multinational corporations, influential academics, and officials from supranational organizations such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, and European Commission. During these days, the general lines of global governance are laid out—often without filters or democratic debate—and later applied at national or continental levels.

The WEF has openly promoted initiatives such as the “Great Reset,” a proposal for economic and social restructuring in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have seen this as an attempt to reconfigure the liberal economic model into one planned and directed by technocrats and major corporations. In this context, Schwab became a symbol of a top-down, centralized worldview disconnected from local social realities.

Over the years, various voices have warned that many policies later adopted by national governments or institutions like the European Union do not originate in parliaments, but in forums such as Davos—where common agendas are discussed behind closed doors on issues like climate control, digital finance, artificial intelligence, and migration governance.

Schwab’s departure marks the end of an era, but not the dismantling of the structure he created: a private space with public influence. The World Economic Forum—where business, politics, and ideology intersect—will continue to operate, now under Brabeck’s leadership, even as criticisms over its legitimacy and lack of democratic oversight grow louder.