Emma Walmsley’s pay rose almost 50% to £15.6m in final year as GSK boss
GSK awarded Emma Walmsley a near-50% pay rise to £15.6m in her final year as chief executive of Britain’s second-biggest drugmaker.Walmsley, who led the FTSE 100 company from 2017 and handed over to Luke Miels at the start of this year, was paid a salary of £1.4m in 2025, slightly higher than the previous year, while her annual bonus rose to £3.5m, up from £2.
9m in 2024.The bulk of her pay package, £10m, came from share bonuses, as she benefited from a jump in the share price.The vesting share price in the long-term incentive plan was £21.65 in 2025, compared with £14.43 the year before.
A spokesperson for the company said: “Emma’s remuneration reflected another year of very strong performance for GSK against stretching targets.Sales and profit grew strongly and we secured an unprecedented five major new product approvals in the US, all helping achieve significantly improved value and returns for shareholders.”GSK’s turnover increased by 7% to £32.7bn last year, bolstered by revenue from its cancer, HIV and asthma treatments, although it expects sales growth to slow this year.Pre-tax profit more than doubled to £7.
4bn in 2025.Walmsley set a sales target of at least £40bn by 2031, reaffirmed by Miels in February.He said GSK would show “scientific courage” and “be more agile” in an attempt to “produce more competitive products”.Walmsley, who ran GSK’s consumer healthcare business before becoming chief executive, pushed the group’s biggest corporate restructuring in two decades.This included the 2022 spinoff of its consumer arm, now called Haleon, with brands such as Sensodyne, Panadol and Advil.
She survived a campaign by the activist investor Elliott Management to oust her.Under Walmsley, GSK significantly increased spending on research and development, and sharpened its focus on respiratory, immunology, inflammation and cancer medicines, as well as vaccines.Pascal Soriot, the chief executive of rival AstraZeneca, the UK’s largest pharmaceutical company, received a 6.4% pay rise last year, taking his total remuneration to £17.7m.
He is in line for a further increase to up to £19.6m this year, potentially making him the UK’s highest-paid chief executive once again.Miels, who stepped up from chief commercial officer, was brought in by Walmsley from AstraZeneca in 2017.He has announced several deals since taking the helm on 1 January, including the £1.6bn acquisition of a Californian biotech that is developing a medication for severe food allergies.
Miels will receive a lower salary of £1.38m, and could receive a total remuneration package of up to £16.6m, including long-time share bonuses.
England fall just short against India in epic T20 World Cup semi-final – as it happened
That was modest of Samson, but if anyone else was going to pip him to the match award, it should have been Axar Patel. His fielding was phenomenal, first when he caught Harry Brook in the deep, running back, and then when, uncredited on the scorecard, he got an inspired assist for the catch by Dube that got rid of the tenacious Jacks. In a game of 499 runs, the winner is the team that fielded better.Never mind the players – I am now a spent force, so I’m going to collapse in a heap. Simon Burnton’s match report will be with you shortly
Wales can fly against Ireland if they dump their Six Nations baggage
It’s unlikely Steve Tandy got to this point in his coaching career without ever alluding to the joy of playing with no baggage. Between club and country over the years he must have reminded his players that the lads down the corridor would be bearing the load, so that’s one thing less to worry about. And with that realisation comes a certain lightness. We’re not talking about the freedom of skipping around the park, picking out faces in the crowd and drinking in the atmosphere of a Six Nations tie, rather getting some value from being spared the burden of expectation.For Wales this has come at a price
‘That person has gone’: Lewis Hamilton ditches despair for feelgood Ferrari reboot
In the dying embers of the 2025 Formula One season there was a period when Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest drivers of all time, seemed cut from an almost unrecognisable cloth. The confidence, humour and calm assurance in his own abilities had been stripped away, replaced by an almost despairing bewilderment.It was so alien to his usual character that many considered it a wonder that he was managing to drag himself on to see the year out. In the buildup to this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Hamilton was typically forthright in acknowledging it had been something of a psychological break.“I lost sight for a second of who I was,” he said
‘Toughest’ Italy Test can be defining moment for England, says Jamie George
Jamie George is braced for England’s “toughest ever” Test against Italy but believes Saturday’s Six Nations clash can be the defining moment for a much-maligned squad.George also admitted England’s Six Nations collapse, which has ruled them out of contention for the title for another year, has been down to a lack of “hard work” and “fight”, insisting the players owe it to supporters and Steve Borthwick to make amends in Rome.The 35-year-old hooker has replaced Luke Cowan-Dickie in the starting lineup to face the Azzurri, one of 12 changes – nine personnel and three positional – by Borthwick.England have won all 32 previous matches against Italy, but Gonzalo Quesada’s side began their campaign with victory over Scotland and have been backed by the South Africa coach, Rassie Erasmus, to shock England.“Ultimately, what we haven’t seen enough of in the last couple of weeks is spirit, fight, hard work and graft,” said George
India hold off brave England and brilliant Bethell to reach T20 World Cup final
England, India and the Wankhede Stadium ground staff conjured a ludicrous, blockbuster semi-final, but for the English in the end it was a bust, a night when records fell, and they eventually went with them.Only three times in their history have they scored more than the 246 they got on Thursday, but still it was not enough. Never before have so many runs been scored in a T20 World Cup match, nor as many sixes (34), nor more sixes in an innings than India’s 19. Neither England nor India had ever conceded as many runs in any T20 anywhere as they did here. It was dizzying stuff, ending in appropriate style with Jofra Archer scoring sixes off the last three legal deliveries to trim the winning margin to just seven runs
Seven countries to boycott Paralympics ceremony over flag-flying Russians
Seven countries and the British government will boycott the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics in protest at the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes.The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine would not be sending athletes or officials to the ceremony on Friday night.Other countries – including Great Britain – have said they will not be sending athletic representation due to the imminent start of competition. The IPC estimates fewer than 60% of the competing countries will send a full delegation to the 2,000-year-old Arena di Verona.The UK government confirmed there would be no representatives attending the event and reiterated its opposition to Russian athletes competing under their own flag
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