Focused on impact

This was the state of mind around the millennium when Patrick Horber chose to move on in search of impact. At the time, the worlds of industry and public healthcare were at loggerheads – a chasm that has since narrowed considerably as collaborations between private and public-sector players have increased markedly over the past 20 years. Horber’s wish for change came from a deep orber’s wish for change came from a deep place. While he loved his work as a surgeon, he felt the urge to broaden his sphere of influence and break out of the daily routine at the hospital. “I wanted to move beyond the operating room and contribute to health on a global level, shaping systems, advancing treatments, and making an impact that reaches far beyond the patients I could care for personally,” Patrick Horber told live magazine in August 2025. After a two-year stay at a consultancy, Horb fter a two-year stay at a consultancy, Horber moved to the pharmaceutical industry, starting his career at Bristol Myers Squibb. He later joined Roche, and honed his talent at Abbott and later AbbVie, where he oversaw the company’s immunology business, before joining Novartis in December 2023 to lead the company’s sprawling international business. He never regretted his decision. “I truly enjoy e never regretted his decision. “I truly enjoy what I do. People sometimes ask me whether it wouldn’t be better to treat patients directly. But for me, it’s not about ‘better.’ What I’m doing now is essentially the same as before, just on a much larger scale.” For Horber it all boils down to purpose: “As an or Horber it all boils down to purpose: “As an innovative pharmaceutical company, our mission is to save lives globally. We work to ensure that patients everywhere have access to our medicines. That’s beautiful and deeply meaningful.” That his career switch was seamless has hat his career switch was seamless has much to do with his upbringing in a small village in Peru where his father worked for the Swiss government. “Many people might wonder how I can still remember so much of that time. But I really do, even from my earliest childhood as a small boy. Growing up there was an inspiration in itself: on the one hand, living in such a beautiful country, and on the other, being surrounded by people who were extremely open-minded and very caring.” The experience, first and foremost, taught The experience, first and foremost, taught him to be open and gave him the ability to fit smoothly into new surroundings. “Looking back, I would say I’m someone who can adjust very quickly and easily. Each time I entered a new environment, I accepted it as the new norm. I always found a way to respect and adapt to the values and rules.” Peru was also vital when it came to his career Peru was also vital when it came to his career choice. “When I was a child, I would walk home from school, and along the way I would stop at the small village hospital where my mother volunteered. We were really living in the middle of nowhere in Peru in those first years, and it became, in a way, my duty to pick her up from the hospital. Most of the time she was not yet finished with her work, so I stayed there, helping her.” Horber began to engage with the nurses and orber began to engage with the nurses and even talk to doctors. “I was struck by how amazing it was to treat patients, care for them, and then see them walk out of the hospital in better shape. That impression stayed with me.” When his family moved back to Switzerland, When his family moved back to Switzerland, where he went to high school in Zurich, he fell in love with science, especially biology. “When the moment came to decide what I wanted to do, medicine felt like the natural path.” Over the years, his openness and flexibility as ver the years, his openness and flexibility as well as his genuinely optimistic nature saw him move ever closer to his goal to achieve a global impact. Today, as he leads around 22,000 associates in more than 90 countries, Horber taps into his life’s experience, his innate curiosity and willingness to help people to lead the international unit of Novartis to its next phase of growth. To achieve his goals, he says, self-awareness o achieve his goals, he says, self-awareness is crucial, as is the ability to improve one’s strength. “Leadership starts with leading yourself. You need to know who you are, what you do well and where you struggle. That self-awareness is extremely important. Of course, we all need to work on our weaknesses, but just as important is asking: What are my strengths, and how can I make them even stronger? Because in the end, that’s what people see, connect with, and want to follow in a leader.” Dr. Horber, when you joined Novartis, coming from an already substantial career, what was your first reaction to stepping into such a large, global organization? How did you prepare for that transition? I came from leading a therapeutic area in the United States, but before that I had experience across the full span of therapeutic areas, as a country president and as global head of marketing. I had worked in the United States, in large and small European countries, in different cultures. Those experiences gave me confidence that I could lead a diverse and complex international business. How was your first impression of the Campus? When I set foot on Campus for the first time to take over the international unit of Novartis, I felt huge respect for the job. It was clear there were many challenges. I knew I had to listen first, to understand the different challenges region by region, the opportunities, and only then make my own footprint. It wasn’t fear, but respect. It was clear this job would demand a lot from me. And, at its core, it was more about leadership than about deep market expertise, empowering people, trusting them, and holding them accountable. That was the exciting part, and I was very motivated to take it on. You arrived at a challenging time with geopolitical change affecting patients and business every day. How do you navigate emotionally and intellectually when decisions impact both employees and millions of patients? First, resilience is key because change, as we all know, is constant. And while we face significant geopolitical challenges, such as US– China tensions, tariffs, shifting global alignments, which can affect patient access, we have to ask: ‘What can we do? What can my team do?’ What is your answer to these questions? Novartis develops top-notch, highly innovative medicines. My job is to make sure they reach patients. One crucial aspect here is that we are focusing on shaping policies and making it clear to governments that access to medicines not only helps patients but is crucial for the overall economic growth. Can you be more specific about the economic effect? Under-investment in our sector negatively impacts prosperity – and it is time for governments to acknowledge this. We must raise awareness that our industry also creates jobs and delivers economic growth. According to the WifOR institute, every US dollar in the life sciences generates 3 US dollars in the global economy. We must convince societies that investing in pharma ultimately means improving patients’ lives and strengthening the economy. The task is to choose the right battles, give clarity to the organization, and give confidence that we can weather these times. History shows rough periods can also be opportunities if we focus on the right things and do the work to get medicines to patients. Even as the COVID pandemic showed the world the importance of the pharmaceutical industry, it seems that the industry’s reputation is often only viewed from the angle of high drug prices. Can this popular perception be changed? If I had the perfect answer, the world would look different. What I do know is this: What we achieve is extraordinary, and we must keep talking about it. It’s not just numbers and facts, it’s emotional, it’s about patients, about families whose lives change. Storytelling matters for this reason. Do you have such a story to share? I was recently in Japan speaking with an opinion leader in multiple sclerosis. I asked him how it is today to treat patients with some of the newly launched therapies. He said: ‘Let me tell you a story. Just yesterday, a patient came to my office.’ He had diagnosed this patient with MS nine years ago. She is now on a new treatment, and she asked him: ‘Doctor, are you sure I really have MS? Because I live a completely normal life.’ These are the stories that inspire me and should inspire all of us in this industry. Twenty or thirty years ago, a patient with MS would never have said that. That’s the difference we can make. Can stories make a difference? Do stories always work? No. A prime minister may fully understand my arguments about GDP spending on innovative medicines yet still face budget constraints. But the worst response would be to give up. We must keep explaining why innovation matters. We invest around 9 billion US dollars in research and development every year – at high risk. Without that, none of today’s medicines would exist. Look at cancer survival rates 30 years ago, or patients with chronic diseases who can now live normal lives. That’s real impact. During COVID, society understood this when academia and industry together delivered vaccines in record time. But when people are healthy, they unfortunately forget the value. Novartis is focusing on therapeutic areas such as oncology, cardiology, immunology, and neuroscience, among others. And with what Novartis defines as the RDC continuum, research, development, and commercial are much stronger aligned than in the past. How does this alignment strengthen the company? We are focused on four therapeutic areas where we can really make a difference. Recently we had a positive readout in a devastating immunological disease that has the potential to transform lives. Likewise in neuroscience, cardiology and oncology we are continuing to make progress, including developing highly innovative treatments based on siRNA and radioligand technologies, to name a few examples. In this respect, the RDC continuum – amid which we are aligning our core functions research, development, and commercial to better serve patients – is critical. Can you talk more about the RDC continuum? We are fully focused on deeply understanding patients’ needs and we are working on better treatments with fewer side effects and easier administration. That guides our research and development efforts. And beyond approval, we must generate evidence to secure reimbursement. Otherwise, innovation won’t reach patients. Since joining, I’ve seen this model evolve incredibly well. It works because of the people. Their collaboration makes the difference. We can still improve, but we are in a strong place. Looking ahead, resilience is a recurring theme. Where does Novartis draw its strength in times like these? Our strength is collaboration and leadership. It’s the way teams lead countries and regions with a personal touch and shared vision. Motivation is easier in this industry because our purpose is strong. Almost everyone at Novartis joined because they believe in the value we bring to society. What lies ahead? The task is to remain focused, highlight successes, learn from failures, and create a culture where colleagues support each other. That builds trust. Even in a challenging environment, I find it energizing. It forces us to find new solutions and think differently. I firmly believe we’ll come out of this stronger. What we can’t do is sit back and wait. We must have a vision, prepare for multiple scenarios, and stay committed to our mission: getting medicines to patients and focusing on impact.

People Interview with Patrick Horber. Focused on impact Text Goran Mijuk. Photos Laurids Jensen. When Patrick Horber told his colleagues that he wished to leave his job as a surgeon to start working in a consultancy and later joined the pharmaceutical industry, reactions were mixed at best – with a former boss even threatening to block his potential way back.