Born on November 13, 1944, in Austria. He speaks German, English, French and Spanish. He is married and has three children and several grandchildren. He studied Economics at the University of World Trade in Vienna.

In April 2017, he stepped down as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nestlé S.A. and became Chairman Emeritus of the company.

He joined Nestlé in Austria in 1968 as a salesman, later becoming a specialist in new products. In 1970, he became National Sales Director and subsequently Marketing Director at Nestlé Chile. In 1981, he was appointed CEO of Nestlé Ecuador, and in 1983, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Venezuela.

In 1987, he was transferred to Nestlé's headquarters in Vevey as Senior Vice Chairman in charge of the Culinary Products Division, with global responsibility. In January 1992, he was appointed Executive Vice Chairman of Nestlé S.A., with global responsibility for the strategic business groups, while also overseeing Marketing, Communications and Public Relations. In this position, he designed and implemented Nestlé's global brand strategy, establishing a clear hierarchy of strategic brands at global, regional and local levels.

In 1997, at the General Meeting of Shareholders of Nestlé S.A., Peter Brabeck-Letmathe was appointed a member of the Board of Directors. On the same day, the Board appointed him Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé S.A. In April 2001, he was elected Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nestlé S.A., and in April 2005, Chairman of the Board. In April 2008, he stepped down as Chief Executive Officer and remained Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nestlé S.A.

He has served as Chairman of Delta Topco Limited, Jersey; Chairman of the 2030 Water Resources Group; Vice Chairman of Credit Suisse Group; member of the Board of Directors of Exxon; and Vice Chairman of L'Oréal.

He has received numerous distinctions, including the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle, the Schumpeter Prize for his contribution to economics, the Austrian Cross of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, and an Honorary Doctorate in Law from the University of Alberta, Canada.

He is Vice Chairman of the World Economic Forum (Davos Forum), an entrepreneur and investor in Silicon Valley start-ups, a member of the SCRL Amrop Partnership Advisory Board, and Chairman of the International Business Policy Advisory Board of San Telmo.