London, United Kingdom, July 2026 — GSK has appointed Roy Jakobs as a Non-Executive Director to its Board, effective July 2026. Roy will continue in his role as Chief Executive Officer of Philips while bringing his extensive global leadership experience in health technology, digital transformation, innovation, and business strategy to support GSK’s long-term growth and governance.
Commenting on the appointment, Roy Jakobs said he was honored to join the GSK Board and looked forward to contributing his experience at the intersection of healthcare, technology, data, and innovation. He emphasized the importance of collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem to improve outcomes for patients and healthcare systems worldwide while continuing his commitment to Philips’ mission of delivering better care to more people.
Roy has served as Chief Executive Officer of Philips since October 2022, leading one of the world’s foremost health technology companies. As CEO, he has focused on advancing Philips’ strategy of improving patient care through connected healthcare solutions, digital innovation, diagnostic technologies, and integrated care delivery.
Before becoming CEO, Roy was Chief Business Leader – Connected Care, where he led Philips’ Connected Care businesses, including hospital patient monitoring, ambulatory monitoring and diagnostics, sleep and respiratory care, electronic medical records, clinical data services, care management, and emergency care solutions. His leadership accelerated the company’s connected healthcare strategy during a period of significant digital transformation.
Earlier, he served as Chief Business Leader – Personal Health, overseeing Philips’ global personal health portfolio spanning health and wellness, personal care, domestic appliances, and sleep and respiratory care businesses.
His international leadership journey also includes serving as Business Leader – Domestic Appliances based in Shanghai, where he led Philips’ global domestic appliances business, and as Regional Leader for the Middle East and Turkey, managing Philips’ healthcare, lighting, and consumer lifestyle operations across multiple countries from Dubai.
Roy also held the position of Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Strategy Officer for Philips Lighting, leading global marketing, business development, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate strategy initiatives.
Prior to joining Philips, Roy spent more than five years with Elsevier, where he held senior leadership positions including Managing Director – Academic & Government Markets and Strategy Director, overseeing scientific information solutions, strategic planning, business development, and mergers and acquisitions.
Earlier in his career, Roy spent over seven years with Shell in a series of international commercial leadership roles across the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, and Luxembourg. His responsibilities included retail business leadership, pricing strategy, customer programs, and launching new business models across European markets.
A graduate of Radboud University with an MBA in Business Administration, Roy brings nearly three decades of global executive leadership experience across healthcare technology, digital innovation, consumer products, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and international business management.
His appointment further strengthens GSK’s Board with deep expertise in health technology, digital transformation, innovation, and global business leadership as the company continues advancing its mission of discovering, developing, and delivering medicines and vaccines that improve patient outcomes worldwide.
About GSK
GSK is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and delivering innovative medicines and vaccines. The company combines expertise in science, technology, and data to prevent and treat disease, with the ambition of positively impacting the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade. Through continued investment in research, innovation, and partnerships, GSK is advancing therapies across infectious diseases, oncology, immunology, respiratory medicine, and other critical healthcare areas.
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