Finance
Factbox-Who is GSK's next CEO Luke Miels?
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 29, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 29, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Luke Miels is named GSK's CEO designate, set to lead the company from January 2024. He brings extensive experience from AstraZeneca and Roche.
(Reuters) -British drugmaker GSK named insider Luke Miels as its CEO designate on Monday to succeed Emma Walmsley, who will step down after nine years in the role.
Miels will be tasked with leading a new phase for the company and delivering GSK's sales target of more than 40 billion pounds ($53.78 billion) by 2031.
He will assume full responsibilities as CEO on January 1.
REMUNERATION:
Miels' starting annual base salary will be 1.38 million pounds, below Walmsley's current salary, GSK said. Walmsley's 2025 salary is 1.43 million pounds, according to GSK's annual report.
He will also receive an on-target yearly bonus of 150% and a long-term incentive grant 7.25 times his salary.
WHO IS MIELS?
Miels, 50, joined GSK as its chief commercial officer in 2017, managing its global medicines and vaccines portfolio, with annual sales topping 20 billion pounds across over 100 countries.
The Australian national holds a biology degree from Flinders University and an MBA from Macquarie University in Australia.
From his beginnings as a sales representative at AstraZeneca, he went on to assume senior roles at global pharmaceutical giants such as Sanofi and Roche.
CAREER PATH:
AstraZeneca
* 1995 – 2000: Held various sales and marketing roles
Sanofi-Aventis
* 2004 – 2006: Vice President, Sales Metabolism, New Jersey, USA
* 2004: Integration Officer, North America, during the Sanofi/Aventis merger
* 2003 – 2004: General Manager & Managing Director, Aventis Thailand
* 2002 – 2003: General Manager & Managing Director (Acting)
* 2000 – 2001: Head, Strategic Planning and Portfolio Management
Roche Pharmaceuticals
* 2009 – 2014: Regional Head, Asia Pacific, based first in Shanghai and then Singapore
* 2006 – 2009: VP/Head of Metabolism & Anemia Global Marketing, Switzerland
AstraZeneca
* May 2014 – August 2017: Executive Vice President for the European business. Prior to that, Miels served as Executive Vice President of Global Product and Portfolio Strategy, Global Medical Affairs, and Corporate Affairs
GSK
* September 2017 - Present: Chief Commercial Officer
Sources: LinkedIn, company websites
($1 = 0.7438 pounds)
(Reporting by Nithyashree R B in Bengaluru and Maggie Fick in London; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)
Luke Miels has been named as the new CEO designate of GSK, succeeding Emma Walmsley.
Luke Miels' starting annual base salary will be 1.38 million pounds, which is below Emma Walmsley's current salary.
Luke Miels is tasked with delivering GSK's sales target of more than 40 billion pounds by 2031.
Luke Miels holds a biology degree from Flinders University and an MBA from Macquarie University in Australia.
Before his appointment as CEO, Miels served as GSK's Chief Commercial Officer and held senior roles at AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and Roche.
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