LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) announced Monday that longtime chief executive officer Emma Walmsley will step down at the end of the year, with current chief commercial officer Luke Miels set to take over on January 1, 2026.
Walmsley, 56, made history in 2017 as the first woman to lead a top-tier pharmaceutical company. Her eight-year tenure included steering the British drugmaker through the COVID-19 pandemic, fending off pressure from activist investors, and overseeing the 2022 spinoff of GSK’s consumer health division, now known as Haleon.
The leadership transition comes as GSK faces mounting questions about its growth strategy. Key products, including shingles vaccine Shingrix and RSV vaccine Arexvy, have seen sales slow, while the company prepares for looming patent expirations on its HIV franchise later this decade. Analysts have also noted the company’s lagging stock performance compared to rival AstraZeneca, which has tripled in market value during the same period.
In a statement, GSK said the succession was the result of “effective long-term planning” and a months-long search that evaluated both internal and external candidates. The board emphasized priorities for the next CEO, including pipeline delivery, adoption of new technologies, and positioning the company for growth through 2031, when it expects to surpass £40 billion ($53.8 billion) in annual sales.
Miels, 50, has been GSK’s commercial chief since 2017, with global responsibility for medicines and vaccines. He previously held senior roles at AstraZeneca, Roche and Sanofi, and is credited with strengthening GSK’s specialty medicines portfolio in oncology and respiratory care.
“I am deeply honoured to be appointed as the next CEO of GSK, and grateful to all the people who have supported me on this journey, especially Emma. GSK is a very special company, with outstanding prospects and enormous capacity to impact people’s health and to change lives. As the next CEO, I am privileged to take on this responsibility, with humility and ambition,” said Miels.
Walmsley will remain with the company through September 2026 to assist with the transition. “2026 is a pivotal year for GSK to define its path for the decade ahead, and I believe the right moment for new leadership,” Walmsley said in a statement. “I know Luke will lead them brilliantly to even greater impact for patients.”
Sir Jonathan Symonds CBE, Chair of GSK, said: “On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Emma and acknowledge her outstanding leadership in delivering a strategic transformation of GSK, including the successful demerger of Haleon. GSK today is necessarily very different to the company she was appointed to nine years ago and has a bright and ambitious future. The company is performing to a new, more competitive standard, with performance anchored in a stronger portfolio balanced across specialty medicines and vaccines.
“I am delighted to announce that Luke will be the next CEO of GSK. He has outstanding global biopharma development and commercial experience, together with a deep understanding of the company, its prospects and its people. He is extremely well placed to lead, deliver and surpass the ambitions we have set for GSK, and to generate new growth and value for patients and shareholders.”
Investors reacted positively to the announcement, sending GSK shares up more than 3% in early London trading.
