Vas Narasimhan M.D

Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, M.D., has been Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Novartis since February 1, 2018.

Since becoming CEO, Dr. Narasimhan has led a strategic and cultural transformation at Novartis to become a leading medicines company globally powered by advanced therapy platforms and data science.   Under his leadership the company has completed over $60 billion in strategic transactions.  Dr. Narasimhan previously was Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer for Novartis. Prior to this he held a range of leadership roles in product development and general management in Novartis Vaccines and Sandoz.  Over his career at Novartis he has overseen the licensure of over 20 novel medicines including advanced cell and gene therapies as well as vaccines. Before joining Novartis in 2005, he briefly worked in management consulting.

Dr. Narasimhan received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in the US, a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago in the US. During and after his medical studies, he worked extensively on a range of public health issues in developing countries and continues to champion global health priorities today. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Medicine and serves on the Board of Fellows of Harvard Medical School.