Incoming Nokia president and CEO Pekka Lundmark will take over from Rajeev Suri a month earlier than planned on 1 August, after his current employer completed its search for a replacement.

Due to the acceleration, 25-year Nokia veteran Suri will now step down from his post on 31 July instead of 1 September, though he will remain in a board advisory role until 1 January 2021.

Earlier this month, Nokia appointed Wartsila Energy president Marco Wiren as its next CFO, replacing Kristian Pullola on 1 September. Sari Baldauf took over as company chair in late May.

The leadership shuffle comes at a turbulent time for the Finnish manufacturer, which this week revealed plans to cut 1,233 jobs at subsidiary Alcatel-Lucent International due to market cost pressures.

In April, it missed out on lucrative 5G RAN contracts in China, though subsequently scored a minor win by securing a portion of a core contract with China Unicom.

Earlier in April, Reuters and The New York Times each reported Nokia had hired Citi Bank to fend off a rumoured hostile takeover bid.