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Dr. Vishal Sikka to Join GSK as Non-Executive Director
Dr. Vishal Sikka joins GSK's board as non-executive director from the Haleon demerger and a board member of Oracle Corporation and BMW.
GSK recently announced Vishal Sikka, MD, CEO of Vinai Systems, as non-executive board director.
Sikka joins GSK from the Haleon demerger and as a board member of Oracle Corporation and BMW. He has an extensive background in technology, specifically in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
With a PhD in artificial intelligence from Stanford University, Sikka has co-authored many research abstracts related to AI, technology, and database management. He is also the founder and CEO of Vinai Systems, a Silicon Valley-based company that provides advanced technological software and services in AI and machine learning to large enterprises globally.
Prior to founding Vinai Systems, Sikka served as CEO of Infosys and as a member of the executive board of SAP SE.
A GSK spokesperson noted that Sikka’s appointment strengthens the board’s expertise and builds on other recent non-executive director appointments, including Dr. Harry (Hal) C. Dietz, professor of genetic medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Charles Bancroft, former executive vice president at Bristol Myers Squibb, and Anne Beal, MD, former instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and MGH, and chief patient officer at Sanofi.
A further non-executive appointment with deep biopharma expertise is expected in July 2022.
“I am delighted to welcome Vishal to GSK. He is an experienced board director and an outstanding technologist who has been at the forefront of advanced technologies such as AI and Machine Learning for decades,” Sir Jonathan Symonds, chair of GSK, said in the announcement.
“Harnessing and applying these technologies to the discovery and development of new medicines and vaccines is central to our R&D approach, and Vishal’s insight and expertise will be invaluable as the company accelerates its efforts in this area,” Symonds continued.
At GSK, Sikka will be an independent non-executive director on appointment following the UK Corporate Governance Code and receive the standard basic fee for a non-executive director of USD 100,058 per annum.
