GSK CEO Walmsley to Step Down; Miels to Succeed

GSK announced Chief Executive Emma Walmsley will step down after nearly nine years, and Chief Commercial Officer Luke Miels will succeed her on Jan. 1, 2026; Walmsley will leave the board at the end of 2025 but remain employed until her notice period ends on Sept. 30, 2026. Walmsley's tenure included the high-profile demerger of consumer-health business Haleon, management through the COVID-19 pandemic and the rollout of an RSV vaccine, raising her profile as a leading female executive in global pharma. Miels, a long-time GSK executive who has overseen global medicines, vaccines and efforts to rebuild oncology and previously held roles at AstraZeneca, Roche and Sanofi, will take the helm and is expected to join the board. Market reaction was mixed but leaned positive for GSK’s London-listed parent, whose shares rose more than 3% while some related listings fell, even as investors voiced concerns about sputtering vaccine sales, a thin late-stage drug pipeline and past patent losses. The leadership change comes amid broader industry headwinds — including U.S. pressure on drug pricing, fresh tariffs and some firms pausing UK investment — and GSK has pledged about $30 billion of investment in the U.S. over the next five years.