Haleon and Microsoft Partner to Automate Global Health

Haleon is leveraging Microsoft AI to accelerate scientific discoveries in everyday health, including dental care. (Credit: Haleon)

The UK-based consumer health firm Haleon has entered a partnership with Microsoft, a step that Claire Dickson, its Chief Digital and Technology Officer, believes will help scale AI capabilities.

Haleon, a UK consumer health company behind brands like Sensodyne toothpaste, Panadol and Advil painkillers, and Centrum vitamins, intends to expand its digital, data, and AI capabilities through a new five-year collaboration with Microsoft.

Haleon operates in 170 markets across six product categories, and its trusted brands reach an estimated 1.4 billion consumers globally.

Building on Haleon's current use of Microsoft 365 Copilot, this agreement speeds up the company-wide adoption of AI by enabling employees to automate administrative tasks, streamline collaboration, and prioritize high-value work.

The two companies will jointly develop high-impact AI applications that provide value across key functions, from consumer insights and innovation to supply chain and commercial operations.

To better meet consumers' daily health needs, Haleon is prioritizing faster scientific breakthroughs and accelerated clinical content production.

The initiative will also enhance marketing through highly personalized content, while supporting smarter, data-driven decisions across the organization.

Key Figures

• Haleon serves approximately 1.4 billion consumers worldwide across six distinct categories to address daily healthcare needs
• The company operates in 170 markets globally to distribute its trusted consumer health brands

Claire Dickson, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Haleon, notes that this collaboration represents a significant advancement in how the company leverages digital, data, and AI to execute its global strategy, driving growth, boosting productivity, and fostering a more agile, performance-oriented culture.

She adds: "We are already integrating AI capabilities across the business, achieving measurable results and efficiencies in areas such as consumer insights, marketing, R&D, and supply chain.

"By combining Microsoft's cloud and AI capabilities with Haleon's deep consumer health expertise, we are accelerating our AI progress — simplifying workflows, unlocking more value from our data, speeding up innovation, and enabling our teams to make faster, smarter decisions that benefit our consumers."

Claire Dickson, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Haleon

Microsoft Cloud Tools Build a Secure Foundation

Haleon is adopting Microsoft Azure as its primary cloud platform and integrating Microsoft Copilot into daily operations.

This configuration provides the company with the robust, scalable infrastructure and data analytics required to compete in a digital-first market, all supported by enterprise-grade security.

With enhanced identity protection and governance, Haleon can confidently safeguard its data and AI workflows while scaling its technology safely and responsibly.

Darren Hardman, CEO of Microsoft UK and Ireland, remarks that Haleon is progressing with genuine speed and intent on its AI journey, using Microsoft's cloud and AI capabilities to translate ambition into tangible impact across the organization.

He states: "From consumer insights and marketing to R&D, supply chain, and decision-making, Haleon is already demonstrating how AI can help teams work smarter, innovate faster, and deliver meaningful benefits for consumers.

"We are proud to support Haleon as it scales AI securely and responsibly, helping the company unlock more value from its data and accelerate its mission to deliver better everyday health to millions more people worldwide."

Darren Hardman, CEO at Microsoft UK & Ireland

The five-year agreement builds on initial productivity improvements to secure long-term digital infrastructure.

By establishing this secure foundation, Haleon ensures data governance remains compliant across all 170 countries where it operates.

AI Use Cases Optimize the Global Supply Chain

The partnership strongly emphasizes co-creating high-impact use cases across key commercial functions. Through automated workflows, Haleon expects to bring new consumer health innovations to market faster.

Integrating data analytics enables the company to predict supply chain disruptions before they affect retailers. This predictive capability helps safeguard the global distribution of essential medicines and daily health products.

Marketing teams also use the cloud infrastructure to safely create highly personalized campaigns. Data-driven insights ensure that consumer communications stay relevant, compliant, and localized across six distinct categories.

The company-wide rollout prioritizes reducing administrative burdens to improve overall operational efficiency. Employees use Microsoft Copilot to simplify daily collaboration and automate routine report generation.

This shift allows research teams to allocate more resources to core scientific development. Faster clinical content production helps the company address emerging healthcare trends ahead of competitors.

Ultimately, the collaboration combines enterprise-grade technology with deep consumer health expertise. The resulting tools will help Haleon deliver better everyday health to over one billion people.