Deirdre Connelly to join GSK as President, North American Pharmaceuticals

Issued: Friday 30 January 2009, London, UK & Philadelphia, US

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today announced that Deirdre Connelly will join the company as President, North American Pharmaceuticals, effective Monday 9 February 2009.  She will report to Andrew Witty, Chief Executive Officer and become a member of GSK’s Corporate Executive Team.

Andrew Witty, Chief Executive Officer, said, “GSK’s US pharmaceuticals business is a critical component of our strategy and future performance. It is also operating in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment. As an accomplished senior leader within our industry, Deidre is somebody who truly understands the needs of patients and our customers and can drive the efforts we are making to reshape this business and improve future growth. I look forward to welcoming her to GSK and the Corporate Executive Team.”

Deirdre was appointed President of US operations at Eli Lilly and Company in 2005. 

She joined Lilly in 1983 as a sales representative and has held sales and marketing roles of increasing responsibility. In 2003, she became executive director of human resources for Eli Lilly’s US affiliate.

Notes to Editors

Biography

Deirdre was appointed President of US operations at Eli Lilly and Company in 2005.  Previously she was senior vice president for Human Resources for Lilly.  She had joined Lilly in 1983 as a sales representative and moved to San Juan as a marketing associate a year later.  After progressing through sales and marketing roles of increasing responsibility, including Lilly’s international management development program, she was promoted to General Manager for Eli Lilly Puerto Rico, SA, in 1995.

From 1997 to 2001, she held positions of regional sales director, executive director of global marketing for Evista, (an osteoporosis treatment for post-menopausal women) and was promoted to leader of the woman’s health business unit in the US affiliate. In 2003, she became executive director of human resources for the US affiliate, joining the company’s policy committee in 2004.

A native of San Juan, Deirdre received a bachelor's degree in economics and marketing from Lycoming College in Pennsylvania in 1983. She graduated from the Harvard University's Advanced Management Program in 2000.   Deirdre is a member of the Board of Directors of Macy’s Inc., the US department store chain.  

GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.  For further information please visit www.gsk.com

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
Under the safe harbor provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that may affect GSK' s operations are described under 'Risk Factors' in the 'Business Review' in the company' s Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2007.