GSK’s first female CEO Emma Walmsley to exit, succeeded by Luke Miels

GSK has announced the departure of the pharmaceutical group’s first female chief executive, Dame Emma Walmsley after eight years of tenure.

Walmsley who has been at the helm of FTSE 100 company since 2017, will depart the board at the end of this year, but she will be the part of business till her notice period which ends on September 30, 2026.

After Emma Walmsley departure, the chief commercial officer Luke Miels will succeed and take on the responsibilities of the top job starting from 2026.

Walmsley said in a statement, “2026 is a pivotal year for GSK to define its path for the decade ahead, and I believe this is the right moment for new leadership.”

“As CEO, you hope to leave the company you love stronger than you found it and prepare for seamless succession. I’m proud to have done both…Today, GSK is a biopharma innovator, with far stronger momentum and prospects than nine years ago,” she added.

Following the announcement, GSK shares have surged by 3.5 percent, bringing the price to 3-months high.

Emma Walmsley contributed constructively in GSK during her 8-year tenure. She led the pharmaceutical company through the pandemic and oversaw the development of new drugs and products to the market.

She also managed the separation of its consumer healthcare firm Haleon in 2022, leading to the biggest restructuring in two decades.

The company’s chair, Sir Jonathan Symonds, thanked Walmsley for her “outstanding leadership in delivering a strategic transformation of GSK, including the successful demerger of Haleon.”

Walmsley is also known as one of the highest paid CEOs in London with a £10.6 million total package in 2024.