Fellow

Jonathan Symonds, Chair of the Board of GSK since September 2019, has extensive financial, life sciences and governance experience and held many roles enabling and supporting collaboration between the NHS, academia, industry and patients and the public. As a partner at KPMG, Jon specialised in large scale business transformation in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries. As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of AstraZeneca plc he was involved in negotiating and completing the merger with Astra and formation of AstraZeneca in 1999. Following this, Jon led the work to create Syngenta, through the merger and spin off of the agrochemical businesses of Zeneca and Novartis and the acquisitions of Cambridge Antibody and MedImmune, which built AstraZeneca’s capability in biologics. Continuing his life sciences focus, after two years as a partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs, he spent five years as CFO of Novartis AG, Basel. Within these roles he chaired the 100 Group of Finance Directors, co-chaired the HMRC business tax committee and co-founded the Centre for Business Taxation at Oxford’s Said Business School. Jon served as an Independent Non-Executive Director of HSBC Holdings plc, then as Deputy Group Chairman, retiring from the Board in 2020. He was previously Chairman of HSBC Bank plc and oversaw formation of the ring-fenced bank HSBC UK plc. In July 2021, Jon co-chaired with Professor Sir John Bell the preparation of the UK Life Science Vision, which sets out a strategy for UK life sciences in the post-COVID world and seeks to capitalise on many of the UK’s scientific successes through the pandemic. Jon has been a director of Genomics England since its formation in 2014 with the 100,000 genomes project and its subsequent partnership with NHSE in the creation of the Genomics Medicine Service. During Jon’s tenure as Chair of GSK the company has been transformed in a pure biopharmaceutical business following the spin-off of Haleon. GSK is now distinctive in its focus on infectious diseases, immunology, oncology and respiratory medicines. It is a major partner in the UK of the University of Oxford, and also has collaborations with Cambridge University and King’s College in London. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and an Honorary Fellow of the Oxford School of Pharmacology, Jon’s other appointments include as Non-Executive Director, Genomics England Limited, where he had previously served as Chair; Non-Executive Chair, Energy Aspects; Member, European Round Table for Industry and Senior Advisor, Chatham House. He was appointed as a member of the Government’s Economic Advisory Council in 2023. Jon’s invaluable expertise within the global healthcare sector and commitment to advancing the life sciences through his board positions and advisory roles have had profound impacts on healthcare and innovation. Of his Honorary Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences he said “The UK has an enviable biomedical and health research sector which is vital for the economy as well as improving the health of the country. The Academy’s work with academia, the public, policy makers and industry is important to ensuring the sector stays competitive at a global level and continues to deliver innovation to patients. I look forward to playing my part in continuing this important work.”