Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, M.D was appointed as African Parks’ Chairman of the Board on December 2022. Having previously served as a Board Member for three years, and as Novartis Chief Executive Officer (CEO), he takes on this role bringing a wealth of experience and value to African Parks.
Since joining Novartis in 2005, Vas has held a range of leadership roles, including Global Head of Development for Novartis Vaccines, and Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer. Over his career, Vas has overseen the approval of over 35 novel medicines and vaccines.
Vas has focused his education and career on improving human health and on his personal purpose of inspiring a healthier world. During and after his medical studies, he worked on public health issues such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in India, Africa and South America. He continues to champion access and global health priorities, including expanding access to innovative medicines in low- and middle-income countries.
In recognition of his sustained efforts to improve human health, he is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine in the US. He is a member of the board of fellows at Harvard Medical School and the board of trustees at the University of Chicago. In 2026, he became a board member of Anthropic, as well as a member of the Council of Foreign Relations. Vas previously served as chair of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), and remains on its board of directors. In 2025, Vas was listed as one of the TIME100 Most Influential People in Health.