GlaxoSmithKline has announced that Sir Philip Hampton will join the board of the company as non-executive director January 2015 and will become deputy chairman effective April 2015. He will succeed Sir Christopher Gent.

The appointment follows an extensive succession planning process undertaken by the board over the last two years. The appointment of Hampton was recommended by the board’s Nominations Committee, chaired by Sir Deryck Maughan, GSK’s senior independent non-executive director.

Hampton has been chairman of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) since February 2009. He previously was chairman of J Sainsbury and group finance director at Lloyds TSB Group, BT Group, BG Group, British Gas and British Steel, an executive director of Lazards and a non-executive director at RMC Group and Belgacom. He also is a former chairman of U.K. Financial Investments, which manages the U.K. Government’s shareholdings in banks.

Hampton is senior independent director of Anglo American, chairman of their Remuneration Committee and member of their Audit Committee.

He will leave RBS in 2015.