Moncef Slaoui Departs Galvani Bioelectronics Board of Directors

For media and investors only

Issued: London, UK

The Board of Directors of GlaxoSmithKline plc (“GSK”), the majority shareholder of Galvani Bioelectronics (“Galvani”), today announced the termination of Moncef Slaoui as Chair of the Galvani Board of Directors, effective immediately.

The termination follows the receipt of a letter containing allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct towards an employee of GSK by Dr. Slaoui, which occurred several years ago when he was an employee of GSK. Upon receipt of the letter, the GSK Board immediately initiated an investigation with an experienced law firm to investigate the allegations. The investigation of Dr. Slaoui’s conduct substantiated the allegations and is ongoing.

Dr. Slaoui’s behaviours are wholly unacceptable. They represent an abuse of his leadership position, violate company policies, and are contrary to the strong values that define GSK’s culture. The company expects everyone at GSK to behave in accordance with its values, especially its leaders where its standards are the highest. Sexual harassment and any abuse of leadership position are strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.

Christopher Corsico, SVP Development at GSK and a current member of the Galvani Board, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Board of Galvani. In addition, Amy Altshul, SVP Legal, R&D and Global Commercial Franchises at GSK, has also been appointed to the Board.

GSK’s leadership is firmly committed to building a safe and respectful environment for every employee. The company has established policies and resources to manage issues related to workplace safety and conduct while protecting the privacy and wellbeing of its employees. Over the last few years, it has worked hard to prioritise and enhance efforts to ensure that all employees feel respected and included. 

About GSK
GSK is a science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer. For further information please visit www.gsk.com/about-us.

About Galvani Bioelectronics
Galvani Bioelectronics is a medical research company dedicated to the development of bioelectronic medicines to treat chronic diseases. Formed through a partnership between two global healthcare companies, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Verily Life Sciences (formerly Google Life Sciences), a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. in 2016, Galvani Bioelectronics combines life science knowledge with expertise in software and electronics for clinical applications.

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
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.  Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2020 and any impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.