GSK Named Roanne Parry as Chief People Officer

By: WE Staff | Tuesday, 12 May 2026

• GSK appointed Roanne Parry as Chief People Officer effective May 1, 2026
• Parry joins from CSL and earlier held senior HR leadership positions at GSK for over two decades
• She takes over from Diana Conrad, who is stepping down after a 26-year career with GSK

Roanne Parry has officially been appointed as Chief People Officer at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) effective May (2021), reporting directly to GSK CEO James Witty. Parry has had an extensive history of working with GSK (over 15 years), most recently as the Head of Human Resources for Abbott Laboratories.

Roanne will replace Diana Conrad, who has decided to retire after 26 years at GSK, including the past seven as Chief People Officer. When announcing her retirement in recent days, Conrad spoke of her tenure with GSK and the employee-centric culture that was created throughout her career there.

“After 26 brilliant years at GSK and the last seven as GSK’s Chief People Officer, I’m delighted today to be handing over the CPO role to the very talented Roanne Parry,” Diana said.

Describing GSK as “a very special company,” Conrad highlighted its commitment to patients, ethical leadership, and talent development. “I’m enormously proud to have been part of it. To see so much fantastic talent come in and grow at GSK. And to see the development and growth in our portfolio of medicines and vaccines which are improving people’s and patients’ lives all around the world,” she said.

“GSK’s people function is in the very best hands with Roanne. Good luck, and I will be cheering you all on from the sidelines”, Diana added.

Stepping into the new role, Roanne said she was “proud and honoured” to begin her new role at the company.

“This is a very special company, driven by brilliant minds and a shared commitment to our patient-led purpose and culture,” she said.

“My priority is to connect, listen and collaborate with our incredible teams across the globe. Together, we’ll build on GSK’s strong heritage, focusing on empowering our leaders and equipping people with the skills, capabilities and tools they need to deliver even better medicines and vaccines with greater outcomes for patients. Excited for what we'll achieve together!”

Starting on May 1st, 2026 Roanne will be the Chief People Officer and part of the Executive committee of GSK, focusing on the global people and culture strategies of the firm as it continues to deliver on its commitments to develop innovation, leadership and the capabilities of the workforce.

Parry is a seasoned Executives of Human Resources professional with a proven history of success in the healthcare space, having recently come from CSL where she was the Chief HR Officer. She has spent the previous 22 years in roles leading the HR agenda within the Global R&D and Global Commercial Operations of GSK.