HP Inc. has appointed Emma Walmsley as its next Chief Executive Officer, with the Emma Walmsley CEO appointment taking effect on January 4, 2027. The company’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment. Walmsley will succeed Bruce Broussard, who has served as Interim Chief Executive Officer since February 2026.
Broussard will become Chair of HP’s Board on January 4, 2027, succeeding Chip Bergh. Bergh has served as HP’s Chair since 2017 and as a director since 2015. He will remain Chair until Broussard assumes the role.
Leadership transition at HP
The Emma Walmsley CEO appointment follows what HP described as a comprehensive global search focused on the company’s next chapter. Bergh said Walmsley stood out for her leadership experience across multiple industries, strategic thinking and ability to translate customer insights into new growth. He also described her leadership approach as people-first and focused on clear priorities, execution and lasting value creation.
Walmsley most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of GSK, where she led the company from April 2017 through December 2025. HP said that during her nearly nine years as CEO, she led a transformation of the global biopharmaceutical company, sharpened its focus on specialty medicines and vaccines, reinvigorated its R&D pipeline and strengthened its balance sheet after the separation of its consumer healthcare business.
HP also said Walmsley enhanced GSK’s leadership bench and succession pipeline during her tenure. She joined GSK in 2010 and became CEO of GSK Consumer Healthcare in 2015 before being appointed Group CEO. Her time at GSK included a significant transformation of the company and a step-change in its operating performance.
Before becoming GSK’s Group CEO, Walmsley joined the company in 2010 and became CEO of GSK Consumer Healthcare in 2015. Earlier in her career, she spent 17 years at L’Oréal building and leading global consumer businesses. She has also been a member of Microsoft’s Board of Directors for seven years.
What HP’s new CEO said
Walmsley said HP has “a defining role in shaping the future of work on a global scale.” She said the company would focus on “harnessing the power of the AI era” and using its creativity and innovation to pursue new sources of growth and deliver value for customers, shareholders, partners and people.
Broussard said HP needs a leader who can build on its innovation heritage and bring its businesses, capabilities and people together as AI moves to the edge. HP’s release also said Broussard would provide continuity and guidance to Walmsley and the Board after becoming Chair.
HP describes itself as a global technology company operating in more than 170 countries. Its business includes devices, services and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work and gaming. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol HPQ.
The Emma Walmsley CEO appointment and the planned Board Chair transition are forward-looking matters identified by HP in the release. The company said those statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties.
