LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline, Britain'sbiggest drugs company, is close to appointing Philip Hampton asits next chairman, in a move that will coincide with hisdeparture from Royal Bank of Scotland, Sky News said onThursday.
Sky said GSK could announce Hampton's appointment nextmonth. It said he is likely to join GSK as a non-executivedirector or deputy chairman and move into the chairman's seat in2015.
He would replace Christopher Gent, who has been at GSK foralmost a decade and said earlier this year he planned toannounce a successor this year with a view to standing down in2015.
Hampton has been RBS's chairman since February 2009 when hewas parachuted in to help rescue the bank.
GSK and RBS declined to comment.
(Reporting by Steve Slater and Paul Sandle; Editing by GregMahlich)