Vasant Narasimhan

Chief Executive Officer | Novartis

201st

in Fortune Global 1000

68th

in Forbes Global 2000

Vasant has been crucial to Novartis’ success since taking the reins as CEO in 2018, realizing $70 billion in strategic transactions. Using therapy platforms and data science, the company aims to drive innovation in the medical field and provide a better quality of life to the communities it serves. Vasant’s career at Novartis has grown from his role as president of the U.S. region for Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics to Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer before being named CEO. Vasant holds a doctor of medicine from Harvard Medical School and has previously worked on public health issues facing low- and middle-income countries.

Vasant is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and serves on the board of fellows for Harvard Medical School. Additionally, he serves on the board of the nonprofit conservation organization, African Parks. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Novartis has donated $40 million to support projects and medical infrastructure development around the world.