(Reuters) – GSK, the luxury fashion brand Burberry, appointed Julie Brown as its new chief financial officer on Monday, succeeding Ian Mackay, at a time when the British drugmaker is increasing its focus on its core business.
Mackay is retiring after serving as GSK’s chief financial officer for more than three years. The change comes after GSK split from its large consumer company Haleon to focus on prescription drugs and vaccines.
Brown, 60, had earlier worked in health and pharmaceuticals.
She joined Burberry in 2017 from pharmaceutical maker Smith & Nephew (LON 🙂 and was a board member of the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche until September 26 when she stepped down. She has also worked in various financial positions at AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:).
“(MacKay) has played a very important role in helping to reshape GSK and improve our operational and financial performance… Julie is a highly experienced CFO with a tremendous understanding of the biopharma industry,” GSK CEO Emma Walmsley said in a statement.
With Walmsley as CEO of GSK, Brown’s appointment also created a rare all-women senior management of a leading British company and major global pharma company.
Sky News first reported Brown’s appointment on Saturday.
Burberry had said on Friday that Brown would step down as chief financial officer and chief operating officer in April to take up a role outside the luxury industry.
