GSK announces US leadership changes

GlaxoSmithKline has poached Merck KGaA's Maya Martinez-Davis to head up its US Pharmaceuticals division as it announces current president Jack Bailey will be stepping down at the end of the year.

Martinez-Davis is currently regional president, Latin America Region at EMD Serono, the biopharmaceutical business of Merck KGaA. In a statement the company said she brings "outstanding experience of successfully bringing new speciality care treatments to patients".

She was previously SVP, global oncology at EMD Serono, and prior to this spent thirteen years at Pfizer leading various business units around the world including Oncology and Vaccines.

Luke Miels, GSK's president global pharmaceuticals, said, “Jack is an exceptional leader who has made a very significant contribution to the success of GSK during his decade of leadership in the US.”

“As we continue to grow and reshape our business globally, we are pleased to have found a leader in Maya who will bring valuable US experience and deep therapy area expertise to expanding our speciality care capabilities and market presence.”

Commenting on his time at GSK, Bailey said:

“After more than a decade at GSK and nearly three decades in the life sciences industry, I look forward to the chance to explore my next professional chapter.

"I am enormously proud of every GSK US colleague who has worked so hard to both navigate an exceptionally dynamic operating environment while returning the US Affiliate to double digit revenue growth these past several years. I am confident the company will build upon the talent, culture and performance success of the US Affiliate as it now expands its portfolio into oncology.”

Martinez-Davis will join GSK in mid-September and will assume responsibility of the US Pharmaceuticals business at GSK on January 1, 2020.

Bailey will remain as strategic consultant to GSK on the US external environment through 2020.

This is just the latest in a series of top management changes at the company, which began when Emma Walmsley took over from CEO last year, replacing Sir Andrew Witty.

Last week GSK announced that it had appointed HSBC’s Iain Mackay as its next chief financial officer, replacing Simon Dingemans, who is to retire next year.