HSBC Holdings PLC's outgoing group finance director Iain Mackay appears to be the leading external candidate to join pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline PLC as CFO, reported Sky News.

For several weeks, Mackay has been in discussions with GSK CEO Emma Walmsley and Chairman Philip Hampton, according to a July 27 report from Sky News. If appointed, Mackay will succeed Simon Dingemans, who is set to retire from the British drugmaker in May 2019. Also in contention for the role is GSK Chief Strategy Officer David Redfern, who joined the company in 1994.

Mackay has served HSBC as group finance director since December 2010, having previously served as CFO of Asia-Pacific.