Skip to main content
| News

Basel is very open to newcomers

03.06.2021

In an interview that was published in “network mag”, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan talks about diversity at Novartis and his positive experience of living in Basel.

Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan
Vas Narasimhan (image: Novartis)

In 2018, Vas Narasimhan became CEO of pharmaceutical company Novartis. The American, his wife and two sons have lived in Basel for more than ten years. With “network mag”, Vas Narasimhan shared his view on diversity and inclusion and on living in Basel.

Asked about his experience of living in Switzerland, Narasimhan answers: “Nestled in the heart of Europe, I’ve found that Basel is very internationally minded and open to newcomers. This may be because it is a border town and because historically immigrants have found their way to Basel, including some of the founders of the pharmaceutical and chemical companies that have become global leaders. When you think that Novartis and our predecessor companies have been shipping goods from here for over 250 years, you realize how closely this place has been linked to the world over the past centuries. My experience here has only been positive.”

Narasimhan also told the magazine that Basel became his and his family’s home by now. He also revealed what he likes best about living in Switzerland: “Switzerland is a great place to live, and I am very happy here. The landscape is breathtaking, and there is good social and healthcare infrastructure. The overall quality of life here is very high. There’s a lot to love!”

Novartis is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. It’s global headquarters are located in Basel. More than 104’000 employees work for Novartis around the globe. In 2020, the company had a turnover of 48.7 billion dollars and reported a net profit of 8.1 billion dollars.

Share this article

Sign up to receive our newsletter in your inbox.

You may also be interested in

Basel Area Business & Innovation, Invest

How Moderna is growing in Switzerland

The number one rule in real estate is “Location, Location, Location.” The global biotech company Moderna found its location in...

Read More
Basel Area Business & Innovation, Innovation, Invest, Life Sciences / biotech

Sandoz decides on Basel for headquarters

Sandoz AG will continue to have its headquarters in Basel as an independent company. The separation from Novartis is expected...

Read More
VectivBio sold for approximately 1 billion dollars
Basel Area Business & Innovation, Innovation, Invest, Life Sciences / biotech

VectivBio sold for approximately 1 billion dollars

The takeover of VectivBio is now being finalized: the Boston-based firm Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, which specializes in gastrointestinal medicine, has agreed...

Read More
Basel Area Business & Innovation, Innovation, Invest, Life Sciences / biotech

University of Basel and RocketVax present new Covid vaccine

Researchers from the University of Basel have developed a new concept for a Covid vaccine in collaboration with the biotech...

Read More
Advanced Manufacturing/AI, Basel Area Business & Innovation, Innovation, Invest

Rami Swiss and Elbit Systems now manufacturing in Jura

The newly established company Rami Swiss has inaugurated a new production facility in Courtételle in the canton of Jura together...

Read More
Basel Area Business & Innovation, Innovation, Invest, Life Sciences / biotech

Basel to become Europe’s Silicon Valley of biotech

Silicon Valley is synonymous with technology and innovation, and home to dozens of Fortune 1000 companies and thousands of startups....

Read More
1 2 3 63

Do you have a question? We'd like to hear from you.