9 August 2018Europe

LSIPR 50 2018: Emma Walmsley

Name: Emma Walmsley

Organisation: GSK

Position: CEO

Since being appointed as CEO to GSK in April 2017, Emma Walmsley has been making headlines for several high-profile appointments. She has reportedly replaced 50 top managers, equating to 40% of GSK’s top management team. Talent from Google, Walmart, Novartis and Teva have all been charmed by the Walmsley appeal and attracted to work for her.

Prior to becoming CEO of GSK, Walmsley, who is also a member of the company’s board, was CEO of GSK and Novartis’ joint consumer healthcare venture which owned brands such as Horlicks and Sensodyne. GSK announced in March of this year that it had bought Novartis out of the venture for $13 billion.

"Talent from Google, Walmart, Novartis and Teva have all been charmed by the Walmsley appeal."

Walmsley has been a member of GSK’s corporate executive team since 2011, a year after she joined the team where she focused on consumer healthcare, Europe.

Before she joined GSK, Walmsley worked for L’Oréal for 17 years, where she held a variety of marketing and general management roles in locations including Paris, London and New York. From 2007, Walmsley was based in Shanghai as general manager, consumer products for L’Oréal China.

She holds an MA in classics and modern languages from Oxford University.