GSK’s Walmsley to Exit as Drugmaker Grapples With Pipeline Worry

GSK Plc Chief Executive Officer Emma Walmsley is stepping down after almost nine years in which she struggled to win investor backing and will be succeeded by the British drugmaker’s chief commercial officer.

Luke Miels, who previously worked at other major European drugmakers including AstraZeneca Plc, will take over on Jan. 1, GSK said in a statement Monday. The departure of Walmsley, 56, means one of the most prominent female CEOs in British business and in the global pharma industry is moving on.

Luke Miels

Photographer: Charlie Best/GSK

Miels joined GSK in 2017 and currently has responsibility for the company’s global medicines ...