knowing when to go
DESCRIPTION
Knowing When To GoTRANSCRIPT
An In
terv
iew
With
Dan
iel V
asel
la, M
.D.,
Chai
rman
, Nov
artis
Hal
May
fort
h
Courtesy of Novartis
Hal
H
May
fort
h
CCCfNiii Cour Cour Coutesy tesysy of ofNova Novvartis rtis rti
49
he
n D
anie
l Vas
ella
, M.D
., an
noun
ced
in la
te Ja
nuar
y th
at h
e w
as
givi
ng u
p th
e ch
ief e
xecu
tive
role
at N
ovar
tis, t
he w
orld
’s th
ird-
larg
est p
harm
aceu
tical
com
pany
, and
wou
ld s
tay
on ju
st a
s ch
airm
an,
it ca
me
as s
omet
hing
of a
sur
pris
e to
man
y pe
ople
in th
e in
dust
ry.
Vase
lla is
wid
ely
view
ed a
s th
e ar
chite
ct o
f the
com
pany
’s s
ucce
ssfu
l pr
ogra
m o
f rap
id g
row
th. U
nder
his
lead
ersh
ip, N
ovar
tis e
xecu
ted
a se
t of c
aref
ully
cho
sen
acqu
isiti
ons,
mer
gers
, div
estit
ures
and
rese
arch
in
vest
men
ts. L
ess
than
a m
onth
bef
ore
relin
quis
hing
his
ope
ratin
g ro
le, V
asel
la a
nnou
nced
the
acqu
isiti
on o
f a c
ontr
ollin
g in
tere
st in
Al
con,
a S
wis
s ey
e-ca
re fi
rm, f
rom
Nes
tlé, a
pur
chas
e th
at is
stil
l su
bjec
t to
appr
oval
of t
he s
hare
hold
ers
and
the
com
pani
es’ b
oard
s.
Vase
lla’s
suc
cess
or a
s ch
ief e
xecu
tive
is Jo
e Jim
enez
, a re
lativ
e ne
w-
com
er to
the
com
pany
who
hea
ded
its p
harm
aceu
tical
s di
visi
on. C
on-
curr
ent w
ith n
ews
that
Vas
ella
was
ste
ppin
g do
wn
as c
hief
exe
cutiv
e,
Nov
artis
ann
ounc
ed a
50
perc
ent i
ncre
ase
in p
rofi t
s fo
r the
four
th
quar
ter o
f 200
9.
Vase
lla p
ract
iced
med
icin
e fo
r eig
ht y
ears
bef
ore
join
ing
Sand
oz, a
Sw
iss
drug
mak
er, w
here
he
quic
kly
rose
to b
ecom
e pr
esid
ent.
Und
er
his
lead
ersh
ip, S
ando
z mer
ged
with
Cib
a-G
eigy
in 1
996
to fo
rm N
ovar
tis.
Vase
lla w
as N
ovar
tis’s
fi rs
t chi
ef e
xecu
tive
and
beca
me
its c
hairm
an in
19
99.
Sinc
e be
com
ing
chai
rman
, Vas
ella
sol
d th
e co
mpa
ny’s
agr
icul
ture
bu
sine
sses
, its
med
ical
nut
ritio
n bu
sine
sses
and
its
baby
food
s di
visi
on.
Dur
ing
that
sam
e pe
riod,
he
spen
t $59
bill
ion
on a
cqui
sitio
ns (n
ot in
-cl
udin
g Ja
nuar
y’s
purc
hase
of A
lcon
’s s
hare
s) to
cre
ate
a co
mpa
ny th
at
prod
uces
pre
scrip
tion
drug
s, v
acci
nes,
gen
eric
med
icin
es a
nd o
ver-
the-
coun
ter p
rodu
cts.
Pe
rhap
s m
ost c
ontr
over
sial
for t
he c
hairm
an o
f a S
wis
s-ba
sed
fi rm
w
hose
old
est a
ntec
eden
t com
pany
was
sta
rted
in 1
758
was
Vas
ella
’s
deci
sion
to m
ove
Nov
artis
’s re
sear
ch c
ente
r fro
m B
asel
to C
ambr
idge
, M
ass.
, to
be n
ear u
nive
rsiti
es li
ke H
arva
rd a
nd M
.I.T.
In a
dditi
on, i
n N
o-ve
mbe
r 200
9, N
ovar
tis a
nnou
nced
a $
1 bi
llion
inve
stm
ent t
o cr
eate
a
rese
arch
and
dev
elop
men
t cen
ter i
n Sh
angh
ai.
Vase
lla, a
56-
year
-old
Sw
iss,
is a
man
of m
any
part
s. H
e ha
s be
en
calle
d a
risk
take
r, a
stro
ng a
dvoc
ate
for c
uttin
g-ed
ge R
&D
, a p
eopl
e-or
ient
ed m
anag
er a
nd a
pas
sion
ate
fam
ily m
an; h
e ha
s be
en o
bser
ved
taki
ng c
alls
from
his
chi
ldre
n du
ring
seni
or-l
evel
bus
ines
s mee
tings
. With
hi
s de
cisi
on to
leav
e hi
s op
erat
ing
role
at N
ovar
tis, V
asel
la w
ill a
lso
be
know
n as
som
eone
who
und
erst
ands
whe
n it
is ti
me
to m
ake
a ch
ange
. Va
sella
spo
ke w
ith Jo
el K
urtz
man
, edi
tor-
in-c
hief
of B
riefi n
gs o
n Ta
lent
& L
eade
rshi
p, a
bout
Nov
artis
and
abo
ut s
ucce
ssio
n, h
is n
ew ro
le
and
the
tren
ds h
e se
es fo
r the
com
ing
deca
de.
WKnow
ing
Whe
n to
Go
“The
glo
bal e
cono
my
i
s m
ovin
g to
war
d th
e Ea
st.”
Bri
efi n
gs:
Bri
efi n
gs: Y
our d
ecis
ion
to s
tep
dow
n Yo
ur d
ecis
ion
to s
tep
dow
n
cam
e as
a s
urpr
ise
to th
e m
edia
, ca
me
as a
sur
pris
e to
the
med
ia,
anal
ysts
and
indu
stry
insi
ders
. Was
it
anal
ysts
and
indu
stry
insi
ders
. Was
it
a de
cisi
on m
ade
in h
aste
or t
hrou
gh
a de
cisi
on m
ade
in h
aste
or t
hrou
gh
delib
erat
ion?
delib
erat
ion?
Vase
lla: I
sta
rted
thin
king
abo
ut th
is
in 2
008.
Whe
n I n
omin
ated
a c
hief
oper
atin
g offi
cer
it w
as a
sig
nal t
hat
I was
thin
king
abo
ut s
ucce
ssio
n an
d
abou
t suc
cess
ors.
But
I w
as u
ncle
ar
abou
t how
long
the
succ
essi
on p
ro-
cess
sho
uld
take
. My
own
asse
ssm
ent
was
that
onc
e I h
ad m
ade
the
deci
sion
,
it w
as b
ette
r to
acce
lera
te th
e su
cces
-
sion
pro
cess
than
to d
raw
it o
ut. T
hat’s
the
disc
ussi
on I
had
with
mys
elf.
Then
in Ju
ne 2
009,
I sh
ared
my
deci
sion
with
the
boar
d an
d de
velo
ped
a pl
an
for h
ow to
do
it. O
ne id
ea w
as to
hav
e
join
t cha
irmen
and
join
t chi
ef e
xecu
-
tives
— to
spl
it th
e jo
bs. A
sec
ond
idea
was
to d
efi n
e th
e cr
iteria
ver
y cl
early
with
rega
rd to
a s
ucce
ssor
, whi
ch is
wha
t we
did.
Wha
t wer
e th
ose
crite
ria?
Wha
t wer
e th
ose
crite
ria?
Vase
lla: W
e de
cide
d on
a m
odel
of r
isk
man
agem
ent a
nd a
lso
on c
ontin
uity
and
we
disc
usse
d ex
actly
the
qual
ities
we
wan
ted
to a
pply
to m
y su
cces
sor.
The
next
ste
p w
as to
focu
s on
inte
rnal
cand
idat
es, w
hich
allo
wed
the
proc
ess
to m
ove
quic
kly.
We
bega
n a
serie
s
of m
eetin
gs in
June
200
9 to
eva
luat
e
cand
idat
es a
nd to
mak
e ce
rtai
n th
at
ther
e w
ould
be
cont
inui
ty.
I was
i
thin
kinng
ng
nnn
aboboababab
ut
uusu
cc
abou
t cc
suc
ssssce
ssor
s.s. B
ututBuBuB I I
w
abou
t ww
how
o loong
ngnnn
the
su su
ccccccc
cess
sho
ud dld
akakakataae.
My
own
was
that
cnconc
IIIIe
I had
mad
it ititittitiw
as b
ette
r tr r aaa
o cc
eler
at
ioioioiosio
sissn
proc
ess
tht ttn nnananan
to d
raw
eeeehehehth d
iscu
ssio
n nononhhhhI hh
ad w
ith
in
iniiunuuJuuJuJJ
e 20
09I, I, I, I
shh sh
ar
eaaaaa
d m
Thomas Mayer
On
ce a
n in
dust
rial
com
plex
, Nov
arti
s’s
new
cam
pus
in
Bas
el is
for
kn
owl-
edge
wor
kers
. It
has
spac
e fo
r pa
rks
and
a bu
ildin
g de
sign
ed
by F
ran
k G
ehry
.
Goi
ng b
ack
to y
our d
ecis
ion
to re
lin-
Goi
ng b
ack
to y
our d
ecis
ion
to re
lin-
quis
h yo
ur o
pera
ting
role
: did
you
qu
ish
your
ope
ratin
g ro
le: d
id y
ou
mak
e th
at d
ecis
ion
on y
our o
wn
or
mak
e th
at d
ecis
ion
on y
our o
wn
or
did
the
boar
d su
gges
t it t
o yo
u?
did
the
boar
d su
gges
t it t
o yo
u?
Vase
lla: I
t was
abs
olut
ely
my
deci
sion
.
In fa
ct, w
hen
I tal
ked
to th
e bo
ard
in
June
200
9, it
cam
e as
a s
hock
to th
em.
Why
did
you
mak
e th
e de
cisi
on?
Why
did
you
mak
e th
e de
cisi
on?
Vase
lla: W
ith th
e Al
con
tran
sact
ion,
we
wer
e en
terin
g a
new
per
iod.
We
also
had
a fu
ll re
sear
ch p
ipel
ine
and
som
e
very
goo
d ca
ndid
ates
to s
ucce
ed m
e.
So, i
t was
tim
e.
And
you
wer
e co
mfo
rtab
le w
ith th
e An
d yo
u w
ere
com
fort
able
with
the
amou
nt o
f tim
e yo
u ha
d fo
r the
suc
-am
ount
of t
ime
you
had
for t
he s
uc-
cess
ion
proc
ess
to w
ork?
ce
ssio
n pr
oces
s to
wor
k?
Vase
lla: I
thin
k pe
ople
und
erst
and
that
once
you
mak
e a
deci
sion
, you
hav
e
to a
ct o
n it
and
we
had
ampl
e tim
e
to m
ake
it go
righ
t. I h
ad a
num
ber o
f
good
col
leag
ues,
thre
e of
who
m w
ill
leav
e th
e fi r
m b
ut w
ho c
ontr
ibut
ed a
grea
t dea
l. W
e ch
ose
som
eone
who
is
very
goo
d an
d w
ho is
ver
y ab
le.
Will
you
con
tinue
as
an a
ctiv
e W
ill y
ou c
ontin
ue a
s an
act
ive
chai
rman
? ch
airm
an?
Vase
lla: A
s I s
aid,
the
boar
d ha
d th
e
thou
ght o
f hav
ing
a co
-chi
ef e
xecu
tive,
but w
e de
cide
d ag
ains
t it.
So I
will
be
a
non-
exec
utiv
e ch
airm
an. B
ut I
have
to
say,
I w
ill b
e an
act
ive
mem
ber o
f the
boar
d. U
nder
Sw
iss
law
, the
boa
rd h
as
acco
unta
bilit
y an
d re
spon
sibi
lity
for
stra
tegy
, cho
osin
g th
e ch
ief e
xecu
tive
and
insu
ring
that
con
trol
s ar
e in
pla
ce.
As c
hairm
an, t
hese
will
be
my
resp
onsi
bilit
ies.
I w
on’t
oper
ate
the
com
pany
. But
I w
ill v
isit
rese
arch
cen
ters
and
our
faci
litie
s an
d I w
ill a
ct a
s a
coac
h. S
o, I
am re
ally
hap
py
abou
t my
new
role
. It w
asn’
t
easy
to c
ome
to th
e de
cisi
on
or to
kee
p th
e de
cisi
on to
mys
elf f
or s
o lo
ng. B
ut I
am
very
hap
py.
Your
dec
isio
n co
mes
at a
Yo
ur d
ecis
ion
com
es a
t a
cros
sroa
ds fo
r mor
e th
an ju
st
cros
sroa
ds fo
r mor
e th
an ju
st
Nov
artis
. The
wor
ld h
as g
one
thro
ugh
Nov
artis
. The
wor
ld h
as g
one
thro
ugh
a ve
ry tu
rbul
ent d
ecad
e. W
hat d
o yo
u a
very
turb
ulen
t dec
ade.
Wha
t do
you
thin
k is
in s
tore
for t
he n
ext d
ecad
e?
thin
k is
in s
tore
for t
he n
ext d
ecad
e?
Vase
lla: L
ooki
ng a
t thi
ngs
we
can
see
toda
y, I
wou
ld s
ay th
e gl
obal
eco
nom
y
is m
ovin
g to
war
d th
e Ea
st. C
erta
inly
, if
trad
e an
d gr
owth
pat
tern
s co
ntin
ue, w
e
will
hav
e As
ia, p
roba
bly
led
by C
hina
,
beco
min
g a
maj
or fo
rce
in e
cono
mic
deve
lopm
ent,
econ
omic
pow
er a
nd, a
s
a co
nseq
uenc
e, m
ilita
ry a
nd p
oliti
cal
pow
er, t
oo.
Whe
n yo
u sa
y ec
onom
ic p
ower
, are
you
W
hen
you
say
econ
omic
pow
er, a
re y
ou
talk
ing
beyo
nd m
anuf
actu
ring?
Are
you
ta
lkin
g be
yond
man
ufac
turin
g? A
re y
ou
incl
udin
g ar
eas
that
you
’re in
volv
ed in
, in
clud
ing
area
s th
at y
ou’re
invo
lved
in,
whi
ch a
re h
ighl
y re
sear
ch-o
rient
ed?
whi
ch a
re h
ighl
y re
sear
ch-o
rient
ed?
Vase
lla: Y
es. T
he fa
ct is
that
with
gro
w-
ing
econ
omic
pow
er, y
ou a
lso
have
mor
e in
vest
men
ts b
eing
mad
e in
the
deep
er e
duca
tion
of p
eopl
e in
Asi
a. T
he
Chin
ese
gove
rnm
ent,
for e
x-
ampl
e, is
focu
sing
mor
e on
educ
atin
g yo
ung
peop
le in
the
scie
nces
and
in te
chno
l-
ogy.
So
whi
le w
e in
the
Wes
t
have
see
n a
decl
ine
in th
e
attr
activ
enes
s of
thes
e ar
eas
to s
tude
nts,
in o
ther
par
ts
of th
e w
orld
the
natu
ral s
ci-
ence
s ar
e se
en a
s ar
eas
for
the
very
hig
hest
leve
ls o
f
achi
evem
ent.
This
is n
ot ju
st
in C
hina
. In
Indi
a, fo
r exa
m-
ple,
if y
ou h
ave
a ch
ild w
ho is
stu
dyin
g
med
icin
e or
eng
inee
ring,
it is
vie
wed
very
pos
itive
ly. A
s a
resu
lt, th
e nu
mbe
r
of s
cien
tists
from
this
par
t of t
he w
orld
will
be
incr
easi
ng. A
s a
mat
ter o
f fac
t,
in th
e U
nite
d St
ates
, whi
ch is
stil
l at
the
fore
fron
t of t
he s
cien
ces,
we
are
seei
ng g
row
ing
num
bers
of s
cien
tists
from
Asi
a.
You
rece
ntly
mov
ed th
e re
sear
ch
You
rece
ntly
mov
ed th
e re
sear
ch
head
quar
ters
of N
ovar
tis fr
om
head
quar
ters
of N
ovar
tis fr
om
Switz
erla
nd to
the
Uni
ted
Stat
es a
nd
Switz
erla
nd to
the
Uni
ted
Stat
es a
nd
built
up
a ne
w re
sear
ch c
ente
r. Ca
n bu
ilt u
p a
new
rese
arch
cen
ter.
Can
you
desc
ribe
your
pla
ns fo
r inc
reas
ing
you
desc
ribe
your
pla
ns fo
r inc
reas
ing
your
R&
D p
rese
nce
in A
sia?
your
R&
D p
rese
nce
in A
sia?
Vase
lla: A
s pa
rt o
f our
pro
gram
to in
-
vest
$1
billi
on in
a n
ew s
tate
-of-
the-
art R
&D
faci
lity
in S
hang
hai,
we
are
plan
ning
to in
crea
se th
e nu
mbe
r of
scie
ntis
ts th
ere
from
abo
ut 1
80 c
ur-
rent
ly to
1,0
00.
So y
ou fo
rese
e As
ia’s
con
tinue
d ec
o-So
you
fore
see
Asia
’s c
ontin
ued
eco-
nom
ic a
nd re
sear
ch ri
se d
urin
g th
e no
mic
and
rese
arch
rise
dur
ing
the
next
dec
ade?
ne
xt d
ecad
e?
Vase
lla: Y
es. W
hat i
s ha
ppen
ing
is th
at
we
have
cre
ated
— o
r are
in th
e pr
oces
s
of c
reat
ing
— a
kin
d of
rese
arch
and
deve
lopm
ent t
riad.
We
have
the
re-
sear
ch h
eadq
uart
ers
in th
e Ca
mbr
idge
/
Bost
on a
rea
in th
e U
nite
d St
ates
. The
mai
n re
ason
for t
hat c
ente
r is
the
avai
l-
abili
ty o
f tal
ent a
nd th
e cl
osen
ess
to
top
acad
emic
inst
itutio
ns li
ke H
arva
rd
and
M.I.
T. A
nd th
en w
e ha
ve o
ur tr
adi-
tiona
l res
earc
h ce
nter
for E
urop
e in
Ba-
sel a
nd n
ow, i
n ad
ditio
n, fo
r Asi
a, w
e
have
our
cen
ter i
n Sh
angh
ai.
Do
rese
arch
ers
from
eac
h of
thes
e D
o re
sear
cher
s fr
om e
ach
of th
ese
area
s co
llabo
rate
with
one
ano
ther
, ar
eas
colla
bora
te w
ith o
ne a
noth
er,
or d
o th
ey w
ork
inde
pend
ently
? or
do
they
wor
k in
depe
nden
tly?
Vase
lla: T
hey
colla
bora
te a
cros
s th
e
cont
inen
ts. T
his
is m
ade
poss
ible
thro
ugh
a ve
ry d
eep
pene
trat
ion
of
info
rmat
ion
tech
nolo
gy in
to th
e ar
ea
of b
iom
edic
al re
sear
ch. B
ioin
form
at-
ics
allo
wed
us
to d
evel
op v
ery
soph
is-
ticat
ed to
ols
to u
nder
stan
d bi
olog
ic
syst
ems,
to d
isco
ver n
ew ta
rget
s an
d
drug
s an
d m
odel
thei
r int
erac
tion.
At
the
sam
e tim
e, in
form
atic
s he
lps
us to
cond
uct r
esea
rch
glob
ally
as
com
mu-
nica
tion
tool
s ha
ve n
ow p
erm
eate
d ou
r
entir
e or
gani
zatio
n, in
clud
ing
the
lab
benc
hes.
51
Courtesy of Novartis
Wha
t are
som
e ot
her t
rend
s yo
u se
e W
hat a
re s
ome
othe
r tre
nds
you
see
deve
lopi
ng?
deve
lopi
ng?
Vase
lla: W
e ar
e ob
serv
ing
an a
ging
soc
i-
ety
wor
ldw
ide.
And
as
peop
le a
ge, t
hey
are
mor
e oft
en
chro
nica
lly il
l. W
hile
this
is m
ore
pron
ounc
ed in
the
Wes
tern
econ
omie
s, it
is h
appe
ning
eve
ryw
here
.
In a
dditi
on, t
here
is a
des
ire a
mon
g
peop
le to
retir
e ea
rly, r
athe
r tha
n la
ter,
whi
ch m
eans
a b
igge
r por
tion
of th
e
popu
latio
n is
livi
ng o
ff th
e w
ork
of
othe
rs, r
athe
r tha
n fr
om th
eir o
wn
wor
k. T
his
is c
reat
ing
econ
omic
pre
s-
sure
s th
at a
re n
ot s
usta
inab
le.
Wha
t are
som
e of
the
cons
eque
nces
W
hat a
re s
ome
of th
e co
nseq
uenc
es
we’
ll se
e fr
om th
e ag
ing
of th
e w
e’ll
see
from
the
agin
g of
the
popu
latio
n?
popu
latio
n?
Vase
lla: T
he fa
ctor
that
is li
nked
mos
t
clos
ely
to a
ging
and
the
chro
nic
dis-
ease
s th
at a
ccom
pany
it is
eve
r-in
-
crea
sing
hea
lth-c
are
cost
s. S
o, I
see
two
fund
amen
tal c
halle
nges
em
ergi
ng. T
he
fi rst
one
is th
at w
e ne
ed to
kee
p po
p-
ulat
ions
hea
lthy.
In th
e U
nite
d St
ates
fi rst
, but
als
o in
Eur
ope
and
in u
rban
cent
ers
arou
nd th
e w
orld
, an
incr
eas-
ing
perc
enta
ge o
f the
pop
ulat
ion
is b
e-
com
ing
obes
e. W
ith o
besi
ty y
ou h
ave
a lo
t of s
econ
dary
dis
ease
s —
dia
bete
s,
hype
rten
sion
and
so
fort
h. T
hese
are
grow
ing
tren
ds. I
n th
e U
nite
d St
ates
,
rece
nt s
tudi
es s
how
, the
dire
ct a
nd in
-
dire
ct c
osts
of o
besi
ty a
re h
uge,
reac
h-
ing
year
ly c
osts
of a
lmos
t $50
0 bi
l-
lion.
In fa
ct, o
besi
ty, d
iabe
tes,
can
cer,
dem
entia
and
car
diov
ascu
lar d
isea
ses
are
proj
ecte
d to
cre
ate
mor
e th
an $
1
trill
ion
in a
nnua
l cos
ts e
ach
by 2
025.
So th
e cr
ucia
l que
stio
n, in
my
view
, is
not,
“How
do
you
cure
obe
sity
?”
beca
use
that
’s v
ery
diffi
cult,
as
we
all
know
. It i
s, “
How
do
you
prev
ent o
be-
sity
? H
ow d
o yo
u ke
ep p
eopl
e fi t
and
trim
rath
er th
an tr
ying
to g
et th
em to
lose
wei
ght,
whi
ch is
a re
al c
halle
nge?
”
On
a gl
obal
bas
is, h
ow w
ill y
ou
On
a gl
obal
bas
is, h
ow w
ill y
ou
mak
e ce
rtai
n N
ovar
tis’s
inno
vatio
n m
ake
cert
ain
Nov
artis
’s in
nova
tion
engi
ne c
ontin
ues
to w
ork
fully
on
engi
ne c
ontin
ues
to w
ork
fully
on
all c
ontin
ents
? al
l con
tinen
ts?
Vase
lla: F
irst,
the
hum
an re
sour
ce is
stil
l
our m
ost c
ritic
al in
gred
ient
for s
ucce
ss.
You
have
to h
ave
tech
nolo
gy, a
nd y
ou
have
to in
vest
in it
. And
, of c
ours
e, w
e
have
to fo
cus
on s
cien
ce, b
ecau
se s
ci-
ence
is th
e fo
unda
tion
of in
nova
tion.
But w
e al
so h
ave
to u
nder
stan
d w
hat
our c
usto
mer
s ne
ed. P
atie
nts
can
ar-
ticul
ate
need
s, b
ut s
eldo
m s
olut
ions
.
So, i
n hi
ghly
tech
nica
l fi e
lds,
the
peop
le
doin
g th
e m
ost c
ompl
icat
ed s
cien
tifi c
wor
k so
met
imes
don
’t kn
ow e
noug
h
abou
t the
pat
ient
’s re
ality
.
It is
ther
efor
e im
port
ant t
o br
ing
scie
ntis
ts to
geth
er w
ith th
e ne
eds
and
real
ities
of t
he p
atie
nt. W
e ha
ve
to m
ake
it po
ssib
le fo
r our
sci
entis
ts,
thro
ugh
empa
thy
and
imag
inat
ion,
to
unde
rsta
nd w
hat’s
goi
ng o
n w
ith p
a-
tient
s. A
nd th
en, t
hank
s to
our
sci
en-
tists
’ kno
wle
dge,
they
can
em
bark
on
fi ndi
ng p
oten
tial s
olut
ions
. Tha
t’s w
hat
I mea
n by
the
hum
an re
sour
ce.
Now
, thi
s is
a v
ery
impo
rtan
t
poin
t. Sc
ient
ists
hav
e to
und
erst
and
fully
wha
t the
pat
ient
nee
ds. B
ut u
n-
ders
tand
is n
ot th
e rig
ht w
ord
exac
tly.
Scie
ntis
ts h
ave
to h
ave
an e
mot
iona
l,
inte
llect
ual,
scie
ntifi
c an
d hu
man
unde
rsta
ndin
g of
the
patie
nt’s
nee
ds.
They
nee
d to
und
erst
and
the
impa
ct
they
hav
e on
pat
ient
s’ li
ves
— o
n in
-
divi
dual
s. T
his
is tr
ue fo
r all
our e
m-
ploy
ees
and
as w
e ra
tiona
lly a
nd e
mo-
tiona
lly u
nder
stan
d th
is, o
ur in
trin
sic
mot
ivat
ions
bec
ome
muc
h st
rong
er to
do a
n ex
celle
nt jo
b. W
e id
entif
y ou
r-
selv
es w
ith c
omm
on g
oals
that
driv
e
the
over
all c
orpo
ratio
n.
Whe
n yo
u w
ere
chie
f exe
cutiv
e, h
ow
Whe
n yo
u w
ere
chie
f exe
cutiv
e, h
ow
did
you
keep
trac
k of
wha
t you
r com
-di
d yo
u ke
ep tr
ack
of w
hat y
our c
om-
pany
did
on
a gl
obal
bas
is?
pany
did
on
a gl
obal
bas
is?
Vase
lla: W
ell,
that
’s re
ally
two
or th
ree
ques
tions
. One
is, “
Can
we
keep
trac
k
of th
e sc
ient
ifi c
deve
lopm
ents
that
are
taki
ng p
lace
aro
und
the
wor
ld a
nd c
an
we
unde
rsta
nd th
em?”
And
my
answ
er
is, “
Onl
y a
very
few
peo
ple
can,
and
I’m
not o
ne o
f the
m.”
The
spee
d of
dev
el-
opm
ent a
nd o
f the
dis
cove
ry ra
te m
akes
it im
poss
ible
for m
ost p
eopl
e to
kee
p
up w
ith ra
pidl
y gr
owin
g kn
owle
dge.
For
me,
ther
e is
no
way
real
ly o
f fol
low
-
ing
clos
ely,
from
a c
onte
nt p
ersp
ectiv
e,
wha
t sci
entis
ts a
re d
oing
. So
the
ques
-
tions
then
com
e up
: “H
ow d
o yo
u kn
ow
wha
t you
nee
d to
kno
w?
And
how
do
we
know
that
we
are
on tr
ack?
”
Ther
e ar
e se
vera
l way
s of
tack
ling
that
. One
is, f
or e
xam
ple,
to h
ave
peer
revi
ew p
roce
sses
with
in th
e co
mpa
ny
“Goo
d
a
nd
gre
at
peo
ple
attr
act
bet
ter
peop
le.”
Cred
itCr
edit
and
then
pee
r rev
iew
pro
cess
es w
ith o
utsi
de
expe
rts,
who
will
, in
deta
il, v
isit
the
rese
arch
prog
ram
s an
d ta
lk to
the
scie
ntis
ts, a
nd
serv
e as
eva
luat
ors
and
advi
sers
and
som
e-
times
as
pupi
ls o
f the
sci
entis
ts a
nd re
port
on w
hat t
hey
see.
Seco
nd, y
ou lo
ok a
t you
r lea
ders
hip
in
scie
nce.
I st
rong
ly b
elie
ve th
at e
xcel
lenc
e
and
scie
ntifi
c an
d hu
man
cre
dibi
lity
are
very
cruc
ial a
nd th
at if
you
hav
e th
at, y
ou c
an a
t-
trac
t wor
ld-c
lass
tale
nt. I
f you
hav
e re
ally
grea
t tal
ent,
then
the
chan
ces
are
that
they
in tu
rn c
an a
ttra
ct re
ally
goo
d pe
ople
, and
that
giv
es y
ou a
bet
ter c
hanc
e of
suc
ceed
ing
in a
sys
tem
atic
way
.
And
that
’s w
hat y
ou m
ean
by th
e hu
man
An
d th
at’s
wha
t you
mea
n by
the
hum
an
fact
or?
fact
or?
Vase
lla: Y
es. T
he h
uman
fact
or a
nd a
cap
a-
bilit
y fa
ctor
. I th
ink
eith
er y
ou’re
in a
virt
uous
or a
mal
igna
nt c
ircle
. Goo
d an
d gr
eat p
eo-
ple
attr
act b
ette
r peo
ple.
On
the
othe
r han
d,
whe
n yo
u ha
ve w
eakn
ess,
then
you
att
ract
wea
ker p
eopl
e. N
ow, t
hat’s
har
d to
pro
ve,
alth
ough
mos
t wou
ld a
gree
. But
eve
ntua
lly
ever
ybod
y fi n
ds o
ut, n
amel
y th
e da
y yo
u ca
n
look
at t
he o
utpu
t, th
e re
sults
. And
so
you
look
at t
he n
umbe
r of n
ew ta
rget
s an
d pr
o-
gram
s, th
e nu
mbe
r of p
ositi
ve p
roof
-of-
conc
ept t
rials
, and
eve
ntua
lly th
e nu
mbe
r
of re
gula
tory
app
rova
ls y
ou g
et, a
nd th
en
you
know
. But
this
take
s ye
ars.
Your
repu
tatio
n is
that
of a
risk
take
r. H
ow
Your
repu
tatio
n is
that
of a
risk
take
r. H
ow
do y
ou lo
ok a
t ris
ks a
s a
lead
er?
do y
ou lo
ok a
t ris
ks a
s a
lead
er?
Vase
lla: L
et m
e fi r
st s
ay th
at ta
king
no
risks
may
be
the
bigg
est r
isk
of a
ll. In
the
fi eld
of R
&D
, the
big
gest
risk
is n
ot s
o m
uch
the
inte
rnal
pro
gram
s, b
ecau
se w
e se
e th
eir
Courtesy of Novartis
53
evol
utio
n an
d w
e ex
pens
e as
we
go. T
he
mor
e ris
ky u
nder
taki
ngs,
in m
y vi
ew, a
re
whe
n w
e lic
ense
-in
com
poun
ds, w
here
we
don’
t alw
ays
have
full
know
ledg
e an
d
whe
re w
e m
ay b
e m
issi
ng s
ome
fact
s th
at
the
selle
r kno
ws
or d
oesn
’t kn
ow. T
hese
prin
cipl
es a
re a
lso
appl
icab
le to
our
com
mer
cial
act
iviti
es, w
here
it is
esp
ecia
lly
risky
to e
nter
are
as y
ou d
on’t
know
and
fully
und
erst
and.
But
if y
ou d
on’t
take
any
risks
, you
don
’t m
ake
mon
ey.
So y
ou li
cens
e-in
rese
arch
? So
you
lice
nse-
in re
sear
ch?
Vase
lla: Y
es. W
e ar
e in
an
insi
de/o
utsi
de a
nd o
utsi
de/i
nsid
e ne
twor
k, w
here
know
ledg
e is
bei
ng e
xcha
nged
and
con
tact
s ar
e on
goin
g. I
thin
k th
ese
cont
acts
are
very
crit
ical
for t
he d
evel
opm
ent a
nd a
bsor
ptio
n of
kno
wle
dge.
It’s
not
an
optio
n no
t to
be in
touc
h w
ith th
e ou
tsid
e w
orld
. In-
licen
sing
I lo
ok a
t as
a co
m-
plem
enta
ry fa
ctor
, not
a p
rimar
y dr
iver
. It c
an b
e a
good
add
ition
, but
it n
ever
shou
ld re
plac
e or
gani
c gr
owth
and
org
anic
inno
vatio
n. H
owev
er, i
t is
also
true
that
som
etim
es th
ere
is a
par
adox
ical
thin
g to
be
obse
rved
, tha
t the
inte
rnal
rese
arch
-
ers
are
toug
her w
ith th
e ex
tern
al p
roje
cts
than
thei
r int
erna
l pro
ject
s. T
hey
thin
k
that
if y
ou li
cens
e-in
, the
n th
e ex
tern
al p
roje
ct w
ill g
et th
e bu
dget
they
wan
t. So
that
is a
pot
entia
l dan
ger o
f bei
ng m
isle
d, w
hich
one
has
to b
e aw
are
of.
How
do
you
deal
with
that
?H
ow d
o yo
u de
al w
ith th
at?
Vase
lla: Y
ou h
ave
to m
ake
sure
that
inte
rnal
pro
ject
s ar
e ev
alua
ted
on a
pee
r
revi
ew b
asis
and
that
the
peop
le a
re a
s ob
ject
ive
as o
ne c
an b
e. B
ut I
thin
k on
e
shou
ldn’
t hav
e ill
usio
ns. O
ccas
iona
lly, p
eopl
e m
ake
mis
take
s an
d m
ake
mis
judg
-
men
ts, m
ysel
f inc
lude
d. T
hat’s
our
hum
an n
atur
e. W
e ca
nnot
avo
id it
com
plet
ely.
It’s
like
aim
ing
for p
erfe
ctio
n in
one
self.
Tha
t’s n
ot o
btai
nabl
e. E
very
body
has
wea
knes
ses.
It is
, how
ever
, cru
cial
to re
cogn
ize
whe
re
we
have
our
wea
knes
ses
and
acce
pt th
is re
ality
.
It’s
inte
rest
ing
that
you
lead
a s
cien
tifi c
ally
bas
ed
It’s
inte
rest
ing
that
you
lead
a s
cien
tifi c
ally
bas
ed
com
pany
and
that
you
oft
en u
se w
ords
like
co
mpa
ny a
nd th
at y
ou o
ft en
use
wor
ds li
ke e
mpa
-em
pa-
thy
thy
and
the
and
the
hum
an re
sour
cehu
man
reso
urce
as
they
rela
te to
rese
arch
. a
s th
ey re
late
to re
sear
ch.
Whe
re d
oes
that
com
e fr
om?
Whe
re d
oes
that
com
e fr
om?
Vase
lla: I
t com
es fr
om m
y de
ep b
elie
f tha
t in
orde
r to
deal
with
eac
h ot
her i
n an
ade
quat
e w
ay, w
e ha
ve to
ackn
owle
dge
the
hum
an fa
ctor
s in
our
selv
es fi
rst a
nd a
lso
in o
ther
s. A
nd w
e ha
ve
to s
ee th
ose
fact
ors
not a
s w
eakn
esse
s, b
ut a
s a
real
ity, a
s a
sour
ce o
f str
engt
h
and
also
as
a so
urce
of d
iagn
ostic
s. F
or e
xam
ple,
you
r fee
lings
in a
n em
ploy
men
t
inte
rvie
w c
an b
e ve
ry im
port
ant.
If yo
u ar
e in
terv
iew
ing
a ca
ndid
ate
and
you
be-
com
e bo
red,
that
may
be
a si
gn th
at y
ou c
anno
t con
cent
rate
for a
per
sona
l rea
son.
Or t
hat t
he c
andi
date
is n
ot g
ivin
g yo
u th
e re
al s
tory
, tha
t he
is c
over
ing
up s
ome-
thin
g. O
r you
bec
ome
impa
tient
as
you’
re g
ettin
g lo
st in
wha
t he
is s
ayin
g be
caus
e
he is
uns
truc
ture
d or
repe
titio
us, o
r tha
t he
is s
o ob
sess
ed th
at h
e go
es fr
om o
ne
deta
il to
the
next
det
ail.
So w
hen
you
have
cer
tain
em
otio
ns, y
ou h
ave
to tr
y to
und
erst
and.
“Is
it
com
ing
from
me?
” “I
s it
com
ing
from
the
othe
r?”
And
if it’
s co
min
g fr
om th
e
othe
r, “W
hat d
oes
it m
ean?
” An
d, “
Wha
t is
the
othe
r per
son
doin
g to
me?
” An
d,
“How
can
I us
e th
at in
ord
er to
und
erst
and
the
othe
r per
son
bett
er?”
Are
diff e
rent
peo
ple
orie
nted
diff
eren
tly?
Do
som
e fa
vor t
he ra
tiona
l and
sci
entifi
c,
Are
diff e
rent
peo
ple
orie
nted
diff
eren
tly?
Do
som
e fa
vor t
he ra
tiona
l and
sci
entifi
c,
othe
rs th
e em
otio
nal,
othe
rs th
e co
mm
erci
al?
othe
rs th
e em
otio
nal,
othe
rs th
e co
mm
erci
al?
Vase
lla: Y
es. W
e al
l hav
e in
clin
atio
ns, a
nd m
ost o
f us
have
the
capa
bilit
y to
dev
elop
at le
ast a
n un
ders
tand
ing
of o
ther
are
as o
f exp
ertis
e th
an o
ur o
wn.
Thi
s is
impo
r-
tant
as
we
crea
te v
ery
com
plex
thin
gs, w
hich
can
onl
y be
don
e th
roug
h op
en
colla
bora
tion
acro
ss d
iff er
ent k
now
ledg
e ar
eas.
Som
e pe
ople
are
ver
y sk
illed
spe
-
cial
ists
; oth
ers
have
the
abili
ty to
sw
itch
from
one
are
a to
the
othe
r.
As a
lead
er o
f a c
ompa
ny, d
o yo
u se
lect
for a
cer
tain
type
As
a le
ader
of a
com
pany
, do
you
sele
ct fo
r a c
erta
in ty
pe —
say
, rat
iona
l or
say
, rat
iona
l or
scie
ntifi
c or
com
mer
cial
sc
ient
ifi c
or c
omm
erci
al —
—
for s
enio
r pos
ition
s? O
r do
you
sele
ct fo
r ada
ptab
ility
? fo
r sen
ior p
ositi
ons?
Or d
o yo
u se
lect
for a
dapt
abili
ty?
Som
eone
who
can
mov
e be
twee
n di
ff ere
nt s
tate
s?So
meo
ne w
ho c
an m
ove
betw
een
diff e
rent
sta
tes?
Vase
lla: T
hat’s
an
inte
rest
ing
ques
tion.
I fi r
st lo
ok fo
r com
pete
nce
from
a te
chni
cal
poin
t of v
iew
, bec
ause
that
’s a
fund
amen
tal c
ondi
tion.
Sec
ond,
I lo
ok a
t int
erpe
r-
sona
l com
pete
nce.
So,
the
ques
tion
is, “
Can
this
per
son
inte
ract
? Ca
n th
ey c
reat
e
a link
whe
n yo
u ta
lk to
them
? Is
ther
e an
em
otio
nal c
onta
ct o
r not
? Is
it s
omeb
ody
who
cre
ates
a c
erta
in b
ond
or n
ot?”
And
with
out
goin
g in
to a
n an
alys
is o
f how
they
do
it, th
e
ques
tion
is, “
Are
they
capable
of d
oing
it?”
And
,
of c
ours
e, I
look
to s
ee if
they
hav
e hu
mor
. “Ca
n
they
laug
h ab
out t
hem
selv
es?
Do
they
und
er-
stan
d a
joke
?” T
his
help
s yo
u un
ders
tand
the
func
tioni
ng o
f the
per
son
and
whe
ther
they
hav
e
emot
iona
l bag
gage
. But
then
I lo
ok fo
r int
rinsi
c
mot
ivat
ion
and
inte
grity
; bot
h ar
e a
mus
t.
Whi
ch o
f the
type
s yo
u de
scrib
ed d
o yo
u fa
vor?
Peo
-W
hich
of t
he ty
pes
you
desc
ribed
do
you
favo
r? P
eo-
ple
who
are
em
otio
nal o
r sci
entifi
c o
r com
mer
cial
? pl
e w
ho a
re e
mot
iona
l or s
cien
tifi c
or c
omm
erci
al?
Vase
lla: A
ll of
them
. The
y al
l hav
e im
port
ance
. If
som
ebod
y is
a re
sear
cher
, I’m
not
ask
ing
him
to b
e
a co
mm
erci
al p
erso
n. T
hat’s
not
the
aim
of t
he
exer
cise
. But
they
hav
e to
und
erst
and
that
ther
e ar
e
som
e ec
onom
ic re
aliti
es a
nd th
at m
oney
is n
ot e
nd-
less
, and
that
ther
e is
real
ity to
the
budg
et, a
nd th
at
we
all h
ave
to w
ork
with
in c
onst
rain
ts.
Nov
artis
has
a n
ew c
ampu
s in
Bas
el d
esig
ned
by
Nov
artis
has
a n
ew c
ampu
s in
Bas
el d
esig
ned
by
som
e of
the
wor
ld’s
mos
t cre
ativ
e ar
chite
cts,
like
so
me
of th
e w
orld
’s m
ost c
reat
ive
arch
itect
s, li
ke
Fran
k G
ehry
. The
cam
pus
has
been
her
alde
d fo
r Fr
ank
Geh
ry. T
he c
ampu
s ha
s be
en h
eral
ded
for
its in
nova
tiven
ess.
Wha
t is
the
reas
on fo
r dev
otin
g its
inno
vativ
enes
s. W
hat i
s th
e re
ason
for d
evot
ing
reso
urce
s to
a c
ampu
s lik
e th
at?
reso
urce
s to
a c
ampu
s lik
e th
at?
Vase
lla: O
ur fi
rst i
nten
tion
was
to c
reat
e an
env
iron-
men
t whe
re h
uman
bei
ngs
are
at th
e ce
nter
, not
mac
hine
s. W
e co
me
from
a c
hem
-
ical
pro
duct
ion
hist
ory.
So
it’s
a tr
ansf
orm
atio
n fr
om a
n in
dust
rial p
rodu
ctio
n si
te
to a
kno
wle
dge
cent
er, w
here
hum
an b
eing
s, n
ot m
achi
nes,
cre
ate
know
ledg
e an
d
valu
e. S
o, w
e as
ked,
“W
hat k
ind
of e
nviro
nmen
t do
we
need
in o
rder
to a
chie
ve th
at,
to m
ake
peop
le u
nder
stan
d th
eir i
mpo
rtan
ce?”
The
ans
wer
was
that
to c
reat
e kn
owl-
edge
, we
need
an
envi
ronm
ent t
hat i
s op
en, b
ecau
se c
omm
unic
atio
n is
so
impo
rtan
t
and
tran
spar
ency
and
ope
nnes
s ar
e so
impo
rtan
t, an
d w
here
peo
ple
feel
at e
ase.
So, t
he fi
rst c
oncl
usio
n w
as th
at w
e w
ante
d to
go
from
indi
vidu
al o
ffi ce
s, w
hich
we
hist
oric
ally
had
in B
asel
, to
open
-spa
ce o
ffi ce
s. N
ot c
ubic
les,
but
ope
n fl o
ors.
We
call
it “m
ultis
pace
” be
caus
e w
e ha
ve c
onfe
renc
e ro
oms
and
also
sm
all r
oom
s, w
here
peop
le c
an h
ave
one-
on-o
ne d
iscu
ssio
ns th
at w
ill n
ot b
e ov
erhe
ard
and
whe
re th
ey
can
have
con
fi den
tial t
elep
hone
cal
ls. B
ut, b
asic
ally
, we
wan
ted
to fo
ster
cro
ss-
func
tiona
l, cr
oss-
indi
vidu
al in
tegr
atio
n.
In a
dditi
on, b
ecau
se w
e ar
e de
alin
g w
ith k
now
ledg
e w
orke
rs, w
e ha
d to
ask
wha
t peo
ple
with
hig
h le
vels
of e
duca
tion
and
know
ledg
e ar
e lo
okin
g fo
r. “D
o th
ey
wan
t to
go to
a c
ante
en w
here
they
are
bei
ng s
erve
d m
ass
food
? O
r do
they
pre
fer
to g
o to
pla
ces
like
rest
aura
nts?
” Th
e an
swer
is o
bvio
us. T
hey
muc
h pr
efer
to g
o
to re
stau
rant
s —
and
not
to th
e sa
me
rest
aura
nt e
very
day
. Fro
m th
e po
int o
f vie
w
of s
ittin
g in
rest
aura
nts,
you
ask
, “W
hat d
o w
e w
ant t
o si
gnal
? D
o w
e w
ant t
o
sign
al h
igh
stan
dard
s? D
o w
e w
ant t
o si
gnal
that
we
pay
atte
ntio
n to
qua
lity
in
ever
ythi
ng w
e do
?” A
nd w
e do
.
Then
you
hav
e to
ask
, “W
hat a
re th
e ne
eds
of d
oubl
e-in
com
e co
uple
s or
sin
gles
?” G
roce
ry
shop
ping
was
one
of t
hem
. And
so
we
adde
d a
groc
ery
shop
, whi
ch n
ow is
in h
igh
dem
and,
and
post
al s
ervi
ces,
and
ban
king
ser
vice
s, a
nd
a ph
arm
acy.
And
man
y of
our
peo
ple
have
chi
ldre
n, s
o
child
car
e is
a m
ust.
His
toric
ally
, we
didn
’t ha
ve
child
ren
on th
e ca
mpu
s. B
ut w
hy s
houl
dn’t
par-
ents
be
able
to b
ring
child
ren
on th
e ca
mpu
s ov
er
lunc
htim
e? O
f cou
rse,
ther
e w
ere
som
e co
ncer
ns a
bout
liab
ilitie
s. B
ut
the
real
ity is
that
it is
less
dan
gero
us
than
wal
king
in a
city
. And
, for
the
fi rst
tim
e th
is s
umm
er, I
saw
par
ents
with
str
olle
rs a
nd s
mal
l chi
ldre
n an
d
larg
er c
hild
ren,
all
wal
king
aro
und
the
cam
pus.
It w
as g
reat
.
We
also
thin
k ab
out t
he o
utsi
de
spac
e. W
here
do
peop
le m
eet?
So
the
gree
n sp
aces
and
par
ks p
lay
a bi
g ro
le. D
urin
g th
e m
ild p
erio
d of
the
year
, you
can
now
see
ass
ocia
tes
who
take
thei
r com
pute
rs a
nd w
ork
outs
ide
with
wire
less
. Or
you
see
little
gro
ups
of th
ree
or fo
ur p
eopl
e si
ttin
g ou
tsid
e ar
ound
a ta
ble,
wor
king
or h
avin
g a
cup
of c
off e
e un
der t
he tr
ees,
deb
atin
g an
d di
scus
sing
. The
new
cam
-
pus
crea
tes
a m
uch
less
rigi
d ki
nd o
f env
ironm
ent.
We
also
dec
ided
to in
tegr
ate
art a
nd a
rchi
tect
ure
whe
re p
ract
icab
le. I
t may
not b
e fo
r eve
ryon
e, b
ut a
maj
ority
of p
eopl
e ha
ve re
spon
ded
very
pos
itive
ly. A
nd
the
acce
ptan
ce ra
te h
as b
een
extr
aord
inar
ily h
igh,
and
the
feed
back
is v
ery
posi
-
tive.
So,
in th
e bu
ildin
g w
here
the
peop
le w
ork
who
are
mos
t crit
ical
to w
hat w
e
do, t
he p
ositi
ve ra
ting
was
70
perc
ent.
The
imag
es o
f the
cam
pus
show
som
ethi
ng th
at is
rem
arka
bly
wel
l-de
sign
ed
The
imag
es o
f the
cam
pus
show
som
ethi
ng th
at is
rem
arka
bly
wel
l-de
sign
ed
and
imag
inat
ive.
an
d im
agin
ativ
e.
Vase
lla: W
e ha
d 10
0,00
0 vi
sito
rs la
st y
ear.
And
the
feed
back
is o
ft en
,
“How
can
I ge
t a jo
b he
re?”
Thomas Mayer
55