Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, M.D., has been Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Novartis since 2018. Since becoming CEO, Dr. Narasimhan has led a strategic and cultural transformation at Novartis to build a leading medicines company globally powered by advanced therapy platforms and data science. Under his leadership, the company has completed over USD 70 billion in strategic transactions.

Dr. Narasimhan received his doctor of medicine from Harvard Medical School, 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 low- and middle-income countries, and he continues to champion global health priorities today. Dr. Narasimhan is a member of the board of fellows of Harvard Medical School. He is a committee member of the Biopharmaceutical CEOs Roundtable at the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations, based in Switzerland, and he serves on the board of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.