Alex Krauer

Alex Krauer was chairman of Ciba-Geigy at the time of its 1996 merger with Sandoz, and the merger plan named him chairman of the combined company, Novartis.

Alex Krauer was the first chairman of Novartis, serving from the company's formation through the roughly $27 billion merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz in 1996 until 1999, when the board named CEO Daniel Vasella to replace him as chairman. Daniel Vasella, who came from the Sandoz pharmaceuticals business, led the new company's management as CEO.