Who is Emma Walmsley, HP's newly appointed CEO?
What's the story
HP Inc. has appointed Emma Walmsley as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). She is the former chief of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and a board member at Microsoft. Walmsley's appointment comes as HP faces a memory-chip shortage crisis that has led to increased prices and severe downturn in the industry. Walmsley will succeed Bruce Broussard on January 4, 2027, while Broussard will take over as chair of the board from Chip Bergh. Broussard had been serving as interim CEO since February.
Background
Early life and education
Walmsley, 57, hails from Barrow-in-Furness in northwestern England.
She is the daughter of former Royal Navy officer Robert Walmsley, who later became the UK's chief of defense procurement.
She studied classics and modern languages at Oxford University after attending St Swithun's School in Winchester.
Professional journey
Career at L'Oreal
Walmsley spent 17 years at French cosmetics giant L'Oreal, where she held marketing and management roles in London, Paris, New York, and Shanghai.
She eventually became the general manager of L'Oreal's consumer products business in China.
There, she oversaw brands such as L'Oreal Paris, Maybelline, and Garnier.
CEO tenure
Leadership at GSK
Walmsley joined GSK in 2010 and became its CEO in April 2017, becoming the first woman to lead the British drugmaker.
During her tenure, she oversaw the spin-off of GSK's consumer healthcare arm (now Haleon) and worked to strengthen its medicines and vaccines business.
Despite investor concerns over the company's pipeline strength at times, Walmsley successfully guided GSK through major challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and activist shareholder pressures.
Post-GSK career
Other notable roles and achievements
Walmsley left GSK at the end of 2025 after nearly nine years as CEO.
Her exit came amid pressure from US tariff policies, scrutiny of medicine pricing, and the need to offset revenue losses from upcoming patent expirations with new product launches.
She has been on Microsoft's board for seven years and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2020 for her contributions to the pharmaceutical industry and business.