Nestle backers urge Chairman Paul Bulcke to resign

Nestle investors have called for Chairman Paul Bulcke to step down over the departure of a second chief executive in just over a year, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

Shareholders told FT the dismissal of former chief executive Laurent Freixe and the way investigations into his conduct were handled had exacerbated their concerns over governance at Nestle and led them to question Bulcke's decision-making.

"I don't think Bulcke will move on before April but he should have left when Mark Schneider was forced out," Alexandre Stucki, founder of AS Investment Management, said.