Mukul Mehta to Succeed Harry Kirsch as Novartis CFO in March 2026 After Distinguished 22‑Year Career

Mukul Mehta to Succeed Harry Kirsch as Novartis CFO in March 2026 After Distinguished 22‑Year Career

(IN BRIEF) Novartis has appointed Mukul Mehta as CFO and Executive Committee member effective March 16, 2026. He will replace long‑time CFO Harry Kirsch, who retires on March 15, 2026, after 22 years at the company. Kirsch oversaw major strategic moves including division streamlining, the spinoffs of Alcon and Sandoz, and key divestitures. Mehta—currently Head of Business Planning and Analysis, Digital Finance and Tax—has held senior finance roles across Novartis’s international operations and is known for his operational excellence and inclusive leadership. CEO Vas Narasimhan thanked Kirsch for his contributions and expressed confidence in Mehta’s ability to drive financial strategy and sustainable growth.

(PRESS RELEASE) BASEL, 17-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Novartis announced that Mukul Mehta, currently Head of Business Planning and Analysis, Digital Finance and Tax, will become Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Committee (ECN) on March 16, 2026. He will succeed Harry Kirsch, who retires after 22 years with Novartis and steps down from the ECN on March 15, 2026, having served as CFO since 2013.

Harry Kirsch reflected on his tenure: “It has been an honor to serve Novartis for over two decades. Together, we streamlined our organization from six divisions to three, spun off Alcon and Sandoz, and divested major stakes in the GSK consumer healthcare joint venture and Roche. I leave confident in Mukul’s leadership and grateful for all we’ve achieved.”

Mukul Mehta brings more than 20 years of finance leadership across Novartis’s global operations. His roles have included CFO International, Interim President International, CFO of the Pharmaceuticals business unit, CFO Novartis Business Services, CFO Pharmaceuticals Europe, and Country CFO for France, Poland, and Norway. Renowned for his data‑driven decision making and inclusive leadership, Mukul will continue as Head of BPA, Digital Finance and Tax until his new appointment next March.

“I am honored to be named CFO,” said Mehta. “Having grown and learned within Novartis, I look forward to advancing our focused‑medicines strategy and creating lasting value for patients and shareholders.”

Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan praised both executives: “Harry’s transformative impact—from stronger margins to robust cash flow—has been instrumental in our success. We thank him deeply and wish him well. I also welcome Mukul, whose financial acumen and collaborative approach will guide us through our next growth phase.”

Mukul Mehta holds a Management degree from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (India) and an MBA from INSEAD (France).

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as “potential,” “can,” “will,” “plan,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “look forward,” “believe,” “committed,” “confidence,” “continuing,” “commitment” or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding the goals, effects and consequences of the CFO leadership transition, or regarding discussions of our strategy, plans, expectations or intentions. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. In particular, our expectations and assumptions related to this leadership transition could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG’s current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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