Leadership Change at GSK as Emma Walmsley Steps Down After Eight Years

Britain’s second-largest pharmaceutical company, GSK, has announced that its chief executive will step down after eight years in charge. This marks an important moment for the company, which has gone through major changes during her leadership.

She will leave the board at the end of this year but continue working at GSK until September 2026. She has said she does not plan to retire, leaving her future plans open.

Transforming GSK

During her time as chief executive, she led significant changes at GSK. The most notable was the 2022 spin-off of its consumer healthcare business, now called Haleon, which includes brands such as Sensodyne, Panadol, and Advil. This was the company’s biggest restructuring in 20 years and focused GSK more on research-based medicines.

She also streamlined the company’s drug pipeline to focus on areas like respiratory disease, immunology, inflammation, cancer, and vaccines. Research and development spending increased to £6.4bn last year, with £1.5bn invested in the UK alone.

Influence in Business

She is one of the UK’s best-known businesswomen, joining the prime minister’s business council in 2023 and attending important national events. She has also been one of the highest-paid executives in the country, earning nearly £66m over her 8 years as chief executive.

Her departure will further highlight the small number of female leaders in the FTSE 100, leaving only seven women as chief executives.

A New Leader Takes Over

Starting in January, GSK’s chief commercial officer Luke Miels will take over as chief executive. The Australian leader brings a strong academic background, holding a biology degree from Flinders University and an MBA from Macquarie University. He was brought in from AstraZeneca in 2017 and has international experience in the pharmaceutical industry.

Miels will lead the next chapter for GSK, aiming to help the company achieve sales of over £40 billion ($53.78 billion) by 2031. His appointment is expected to continue the company’s strategy while bringing fresh focus to its core strengths.

Read More: Tata Motors appoints Shailesh Chandra as MD & CEO

Looking Ahead

The GSK chair praised her for transforming the company and leading major successful changes. With the new chief executive taking over in January, the company aims to launch 15 major new medicines by 2031 and increase annual revenues from £31bn to over £40bn.

This leadership change comes at a challenging time for the pharmaceutical industry, with trade pressures, pricing disputes, and global competition. GSK has emphasised its commitment to the UK while also investing in manufacturing and research abroad.

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