Nestle on Tuesday announced that its longtime chairman Paul Bulcke had decided to step down, just weeks after the Swiss food giant suddenly fired its chief executive over an office relationship.

ZURICH >> Nestle said on Tuesday its chairman Paul Bulcke would hand over to former Inditex CEO Pablo Isla on Oct. 1, accelerating a changing of the guard at the Swiss food giant after an unprecedented period of managerial turmoil.

Bulcke will be succeeded by Vice Chairman Pablo Isla, effective October 1.