HP has appointed former GSK chief executive Emma Walmsley as its next CEO.

Effective January 4, 2027, she will take over from Interim CEO Bruce Broussard, who will succeed Chip Bergh as board chair.

The appointment follows a global search for a permanent successor to Broussard, who has led HP on an interim basis since February 2026.

Walmsley brings experience running global pharmaceutical and consumer businesses, alongside seven years on Microsoft’s board.

“Emma is a proven CEO with a track record of leading organisations at scale and guiding them through significant change,” said Broussard. “She has the experience and skills to bring HP’s businesses, capabilities and people together to capture the opportunities ahead as AI moves to the edge, transforming how we work and live in a more connected world.”

Turning AI opportunities into business growth would be a priority when Walmsley takes over.

“We will focus on harnessing the power of the AI era and putting HP’s creativity and innovation to work to unlock new sources of growth and deliver lasting value for our customers, shareholders, partners and people,” she said.

Walmsley led GSK from April 2017 through December 2025. During her tenure, she sharpened its focus on specialty medicines and vaccines, strengthened its research and development pipeline, and oversaw the separation of its consumer healthcare business.

She joined GSK in 2010 and became CEO of GSK Consumer Healthcare in 2015 before taking the group’s top job. Earlier in her career, she spent 17 years at L’Oréal building and leading global consumer businesses.