Slimmed down Novartis is now poised to grow value, says CEO Narasimhan

With last week’s completion of the Sandoz spinout, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan says he’s done with the major dismantling of the pharma, and the company is now primed to grow in a more focused and productive direction. In Part I of an interview with BioCentury, Narasimhan discussed the process of slimming down the company, what he’s learned about change management, and how he approaches keeping productivity up while trying to introduce shifts in corporate culture.

Narasimhan became CEO of  Novartis AG (SIX:NOVN; NYSE:NVS) in February 2018, and has made a series of restructuring moves and management changes as he’s sought to position the company for greater growth. ...