Notice: GSK Chief Executive Emma Walmsley to Step Down After Eight Years, Luke Miels Named Successor

GSK plc, Britain's second-biggest pharmaceutical company, announced on 29 September 2025 that chief executive Dame Emma Walmsley would step down after eight years leading the group, The Guardian reported. The board named chief commercial officer Luke Miels as her successor, choosing an internal candidate with deep experience across the company's vaccine and specialty medicine divisions.

What the company announced

• Dame Emma Walmsley to step down as CEO after eight years in the role
• Luke Miels, chief commercial officer, named as successor
• GSK is Britain's second-largest pharmaceutical company by market capitalisation
• Walmsley oversaw the consumer healthcare spin-off (Haleon) completed in 2022
• Under Walmsley, GSK refocused on specialty medicines, immunology and vaccines
• The leadership transition was announced alongside a broader management reshuffle

Walmsley's legacy

Emma Walmsley became CEO in April 2017, the first woman to lead a major global pharmaceutical company. Her tenure was defined by the strategic separation of GSK's consumer healthcare business — which included brands such as Panadol, Sensodyne and Voltaren — into a new listed company, Haleon, completed in July 2022. The separation allowed GSK to concentrate resources on higher-margin specialty pharmaceuticals and vaccines, including its shingles vaccine Shingrix and its HIV franchise through the ViiV Healthcare joint venture.

Walmsley also navigated the company through the pandemic-era vaccine race, during which GSK partnered with CureVac on an mRNA vaccine candidate that ultimately did not reach market. The company's pipeline in respiratory, immunology and oncology was strengthened during her tenure through a series of acquisitions and licensing deals.

Miels' appointment

Luke Miels joins the CEO role from the position of chief commercial officer, where he was responsible for GSK's global commercial strategy across vaccines, specialty medicines and general medicines. His appointment continues a pattern of internal succession at GSK and signals continuity in the strategic direction set under Walmsley. Miels previously held senior commercial roles at AstraZeneca and has experience across both developed and emerging markets.

Company details

GSK plc (LSE: GSK; NYSE: GSK), headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Official website: gsk.com.