Dr. Vasella brings to the Board his deep experience leading a highly regulated global business, as well as a global perspective.
Dr. Vasella has been an Honorary Chairman of Novartis AG since 2013. Prior to that, Dr. Vasella served as Chairman of Novartis from 1999 to 2013 and as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from 1996 to 2010. From 1992 to 1996, Dr. Vasella held the positions of CEO, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President, Head of Worldwide Development and Head of Corporate Marketing at Sandoz Pharma Ltd.
Dr. Vasella is a foreign honorary member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences and a former trustee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Dr. Vasella is a director, member of the nominating and corporate governance committee and member of the compensation committee at PepsiCo, Inc. He also served as a director of SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Vasella received his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Bern in Switzerland and attended Harvard University’s Program for Management Development.