Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> March 29, 1999
DR. DANIEL L. VASELLA is Chairman designate, President and Head of the
Executive Committee of Novartis AG. Before the Novartis merger, Dr.
Vasella was Chief Executive Officer of Sandoz Pharma Ltd., the
pharmaceuticals division of Sandoz. In this capacity, he was responsible
for managing all pharmaceuticals activities of the Sandoz Group
worldwide. Additionally, Dr. Vasella was a member of the Sandoz Group
Executive Committee. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Dr. Vasella was
Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Sandoz Pharma and, before that, Senior
Vice President and Head of Worldwide Development. In that position, he
supervised a restructuring of pharmaceuticals development, leading to
stronger, more focused decision-making, the separation of the research
and development functions, and the establishment of a matrix
organisation of international project teams and worldwide line
functions; this more cohesive organisational structure effectively
globalized and shortened Sandoz' development cycle. In 1993, Dr. Vasella
was Head of Corporate Marketing. From 1988 to 1992, Dr. Vasella was with
Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corporation in the U.S. He began his Sandoz
career there in market research and sales, progressing to Product
Manager for Sandostatin' and then to Director of Special Project
Marketing. Before joining Sandoz, Dr. Vasella held a number of medical
positions in Switzerland. From 1984 to 1988, he was attendant physician
at C.L. Lory Haus, University Hospital, Bern. Prior to this, he held
residencies at Waid Hospital in Zurich, University Hospital, Bern and at
the University of Bern Institute of Pathology. Dr. Vasella is a member
of the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse Group, the Supervisory Board
of Siemans AG, and the International Board of Governors of the Peres
Centre of Peace. He is also a member of the International Business
Leaders Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai, a member of the
Board of Directors of Associates of Harvard Business School, a member of
the boards of INSEAD and IMD (International Institute for Management
Development) and a member of the Global Leaders for Tomorrow Group of
the World Economic Forum in Davos. Dr. Vasella is married and has three
children. Profile
Dr. Vasella: NOVARTIS is one of the world's leading Life Sciences
companies, spanning more than 140 countries, and with core ;businesses
in health
