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GSK CEO Emma Walmsley says it's ‘obnoxious’ when CEOs complain about their hard lives
Emma Walmsley, who is set to step down from her role at the end of the year, said that leaders should focus on improving things during their tenure.
GSK CEO Emma Walmsley has said she finds it “obnoxious” when company leaders complain about how hard their jobs are. Speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women (MPW) Summit, Walmsley called being a CEO a “privilege” and encouraged others to approach leadership with courage and purpose.
“There are few things more obnoxious than CEOs complaining about how hard their life is. I didn’t grow up thinking I would get even half a chance at this, and it is such a privilege,” she said at the summit.
Walmsley, who is set to step down from her role at the end of the year, added that leaders should focus on improving things during their tenure. “You just hope that in the time that you are given the responsibility to do something like this, you make it better than it was when you started. And you hope the person that follows you makes it better again, and you are equipping them to accelerate,” she said.
Further, encouraging those who aspire to leadership roles, she said, “If you have a chance to do it, I’d run at it with full and brave hearts and the biggest dreams you possibly can for impact. But I would do it eyes wide open because.. I mean, I think you have to be prepared for the things you don’t get to do if you want to do this job.”
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Who is Emma Walmsley?
Emma Walmsley has served as CEO of Britain’s second-largest drugmaker, GSK, since April 2017. Before joining GSK, she worked for 17 years at L’Oréal in senior marketing and management roles.
In September, GSK announced that Walmsley will step down at the end of 2025. Her successor will be Luke Miels, currently GSK’s Chief Commercial Officer, who will officially take over on January 1, 2026. Walmsley will stay on until September 2026 to help with the leadership transition, according to a report by The Guardian.
