Quick Facts
Biography
Vasant "Vas" Narasimhan is an American doctor who currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Novartis.
Biography
Narasimhan received his bachelor's degree in biological sciences from University of Chicago, his M.D. from Harvard Medical School and his master's degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Narasimhan has previously served as Global Head of Biopharmaceuticals & Oncology Injectables at Sandoz International.
Narasimhan joined Novartis in 2005. In 2014, he became Global Head of Development, and from 2016 to 2018, he held the role of Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer within the company. On September 5, 2017, he was named the successor of Joseph Jimenez as CEO of Novartis.
He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine.
In 2015, Fortune listed Narasimhan as 7th in their '40 under 40' list.
Personal life
Narasimhan is married to Srishti Gupta, who met him at Harvard while organizing an Asian cultural festival. His parents originate from Tamil Nadu, having emigrated to the United States in the 1970s. Narasimhan's mother is a former nuclear engineer for Public Service Electric and Gas and his father was a researcher at Hoeganaes Corporation.