Daniel Vasella, M.D., is Chairman of the Board of Directors for Novartis AG. He served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and executive member of the Board of Directors for 14 years following the merger that created Novartis in 1996. Dr. Vasella was appointed Chairman in April 1999.
Dr. Vasella is a member of the boards of directors of PepsiCo,Inc., and American Express Company. He is also a member of the International Board of Governors of
the Peres Center for Peace in Israel, the International Business Leaders Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai, and is a foreign honorary member of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In addition, Dr. Vasella serves as a member of several industry associations and educational institutions.
Before the Novartis merger, Dr. Vasella was CEO of Sandoz Pharma Ltd. and a member of the Sandoz Group Executive Committee. From 1988 to 1992, he was with Sandoz Pharma- ceuticals Corporation in the United States, prior to which he held a number of medical positions in Switzerland. He graduated with an M.D. from the University of Bern in Switzerland and completed executive training at the Harvard Business School in the United States. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Basel.
Leadership, Biomedical Science and Global Marketing experience – former CEO of Novartis; advisory panel member for international organizations. Industry experience – board member for global consumer goods company and global financial services company.