Philipp Navratil spent roughly two decades climbing up the corporate ladder, so he knows a thing or two about getting promoted.
The CEO of the company behind more than 30 billion-dollar brands, including Nespresso and DiGiorno, joined the business as an internal auditor and worked across a range of roles before becoming CEO in 2025. Along the way, he said he noticed three traits that consistently set successful employees apart.
First, they stay curious, he said. That means constantly learning — whether by teaching themselves new skills or seeking guidance from colleagues, managers, and mentors.
As a CEO, Navratil still learns from his colleagues. He said he’s been working with a more junior “reverse-mentor” who has been teaching him how to program agents.
Navratil said continuous learning has been a practice throughout his career. While working as a sales representative in Panama between 2005 and 2009, he said he realized he had become too comfortable in his role. Fortunately, he had a line manager who encouraged him to move into a different position.
Navratil said he almost always said “yes” to new opportunities. The learning happens when you’re a “little outside your comfort zone,” the CEO said.
He also said it’s crucial to be a go-getter.
Employees who earn promotions have a drive to make things better, he said. Someone with the ambition to win is more likely to succeed than someone with all the right skills but little passion to make a difference.
“Are they hungry?” Navratil said. “Do they want to win?”
The third factor is humility.
“I like humble people,” Navratil said. “I don’t like people that boast; that are full of themselves.”
Navratil said that arrogance is “a recipe for not being successful.” Employees who keep moving up recognize when they need help — and don’t assume they’re the smartest person in the room.
“Humbleness, be hungry, and be curious,” Navratil said, summing up the three traits. “Just keep learning every day.”
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