Emma Walmsley to step down as chief executive of GSK
By Abigail Townsend
Date: Monday 29 Sep 2025
(Sharecast News) - Chief executive Emma Walmsley is to leave GSK, it was announced on Monday, after nearly a decade in the role.
She will be replaced by the biopharma's chief commercial officer, Luke Miels, who has been with GSK since 2017.
Walmsley, who took over from fellow long-serving chief executive Andrew Witty in 2017, has led GSK through a period of significant change.
In particular, in 2022 she oversaw the spinning off its consumer health arm as Haleon, leaving GSK as a pure play drugs and vaccines specialist.
In a statement, Walmsley, 56, said: "2026 is a pivotal year for GSK to define its path for the decade ahead, and I believe the right moment for a new leadership.
"I look forward to supporting this transition and to cheering GSK's future success as a I begin my own new adventures."
Walmsley will step down from the board on 31 December, with Miels replacing her from 1 January 2026.
However, she will remain with the business - which is targeting sales of more than £40bn by 2031 - until the end of September 2026, to support the handover.
Jonathan Symonds, chair, said: "[Miels] 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."
GSK added that Miels, who has world-wide responsibility for medicines and vaccines, had been "instrumental" in building the firm's speciality medicines portfolio, particularly in oncology and respiratory.
His base salary as chief executive will be £1,375,000, with an on-target annual bonus of 150%, rising to a maximum of 300%.
Walmsley took home a total of £10.6m in 2024, including bonuses and other benefits. That was, however, less than Pascal Soriot, her counterpart at fellow blue chip drugs firm AstraZeneca, who was paid £14.7m.
Walmsley's base salary was £1,430,792 last year.
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