The former chief adviser of Operation Warp Speed addresses the Biden administration, taking credit for the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine.
GlaxoSmithKline fired Moncef Slaoui as president of a British-controlled company after an internal investigation found that he had sexually harassed a GSK employee several years ago.
GSK said the termination of Slaoui’s contract with Galvani Bioelectronics had immediate effect.
Slaoui, the former chief advisor to the US COVID-19 vaccine development program known as Operation Warp Speed (OWS), on Wednesday night acknowledged his resignation and apologized.
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“I would like to apologize without reservation to the official in question and I am deeply sorry for any suffering caused,” he said. He also apologized to his wife and family in the statement.
GSK said an investigation into Slaoui’s conduct, conducted on his behalf by an independent law firm, substantiated allegations of harassment and inappropriate contact, adding that the investigation was ongoing.
The termination of Slaoui’s contract follows the receipt of a letter containing allegations of misconduct towards the GSK employee, the company said in a statement, adding that the allegations arose when Slaoui was a GSK employee.
The London-listed company shares closed down 1%.
In a letter to the team and reviewed by Reuters, GSK chief executive Emma Walmsley said the company has been handling the charges since February.
“Dr. Slaoui’s behavior represents an abuse of his leadership position and violates our company’s policies, our values and our commitment to trust – a commitment that I know is shared by all of you,” she said.
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Appointed by former President Donald Trump as chief adviser to the OWS last year, Slaoui oversaw more than $ 10 billion in government funding for vaccine development and production. He resigned in January before President Joe Biden’s next administration.
Galvani is a bioelectronic medication company created in 2016 by 55% of owner GSK and Verily, the life sciences unit of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc.
| Ticker | Safety | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSK | GLAXOSMITHKLINE PLC | 35.87 | -0.12 | -0.33% |
| GOOG | ALPHABET, INC. | 2,045.06 | -7.90 | -0.38% |
A GSK spokesman said the US law firm Morgan Lewis conducted the investigation, led by partner Grace Speights,
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His outstanding work on complaints of corporate misconduct and diversity includes participation on Alphabet’s advisory board, created last year to oversee the technology company’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.
Prior to his role at Galvani, Slaoui spent nearly 30 years at GSK and held several leadership positions, including head of pharmaceutical research and development and president of his vaccine division. He left the GSK board in 2017.
Executive behavior and treatment of employees have been scrutinized in recent years, as the #MeToo social media movement has spawned a series of high-profile board exits.
Slaoui joined Centessa Pharma last month as a scientific director after leaving OWS.
Since 2017, he has been a partner at Medicxi, the investment company that founded Centessa through the merger of 10 companies in its portfolio.
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Centessa did not make an immediate comment. Calls and messages to Medicxi and an external communications company were not answered.
Slaoui said he will take a leave of absence from his current professional responsibilities with immediate effect.
Christopher Corsico, senior vice president of development for GSK and a board member of Galvani, has been named the new president, said GSK. Amy Altshul, senior vice president Legal, R&D and global business franchises at GSK, was also appointed to the board.