Novartis [NYSE: NVS]

Carlos Pasquali

Carlos Pasquali drives pharmaceutical transformation at Novartis as Associate Director, Strategic Consulting. Combining 18+ years of strategy/operational excellence experience with a global mindset from international living/ working, he navigates complex change effectively. He excels at stakeholder engagement and implementing new processes and capabilities, focusing keenly on innovation, especially AI.

A Global Perspective Driving Transformation

Curiosity and cross-cultural fluency are defining traits of Carlos Pasquali's journey. Growing up in Mexico, followed by living and working in the U.S. and Italy, instilled in him an innate ability to connect with diverse teams and navigate complex international environments. This ‘citizen of the world’ perspective proves to be a powerful professional asset, moving beyond personal philosophy. It equips him to grasp nuances, foster connections and design strategies that resonate across different business units and geographies—from North America and Europe to Asia, making him exceptionally effective in global roles at Novartis and previously at EY.

Orchestrating Complex Change in Pharma

Drawing on over 18 years in strategy and operational excellence consulting, Pasquali possesses a rare ability to dissect challenges and architect solutions within the intricate pharmaceutical world. At Novartis, his impact is evident in navigating significant transformations: he has addressed the complex implications of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on clinical trials, uncovered hundreds of millions in rogue spending and implemented effective controls during major business unit mergers. His expertise shines in identifying pivotal opportunities and skillfully managing the complex web of stakeholders, processes and potential resistance inherent in large-scale change. He excels at building relationships, fostering collaboration and driving critical projects from initial concept to successful implementation.

Engineering Efficiency, From Code to Capabilities

Pasquali’s strategic mindset is firmly grounded in a practical mastery of systems and efficiency. This was powerfully demonstrated during his tenure as Head of Systems Development at a startup, where he transformed a cumbersome, monolithic codebase spread across 70 AWS instances into a lean, modular system operating on just 15. This feat enabled daily software deploys and positioned the system for national scalability. Such hands-on experience refactoring code and optimizing infrastructure directly informs his broader approach to process improvement and capabilitiesbuilding today. Whether rolling out global systems for smoother healthcare professional interactions at Novartis, constructing sophisticated forecasting and pricing models at EY or even single-handedly creating a high-impact QR code system for municipal services in Zapopan, he consistently identifies pathways to streamline operations and elevate performance. With a global mindset and a strategist's toolkit, Pasquali architects transformations that bridge cultures, simplify operations and harness the power of AI to redefine possibilities within the pharmaceutical landscape.

Championing the Future: AI Integration at Novartis

Recognizing AI as a revolutionary force, particularly within pharmaceuticals, Pasquali actively champions its potential as an enthusiastic ‘AI evangelist.’ He effectively combines his technical understanding and strategic acumen to spearhead AI adoption at Novartis. In his current role, he orchestrates the rollout of key AI initiatives across vital U.S. functions—impacting finance, marketing, customer engagement and critical R&D areas like patient finding and insights generation. Collaborating closely with data science teams, he ensures these powerful tools are implemented strategically to maximize business impact, while also aiming to enhance AI literacy and accessibility throughout the organization. Rather than merely adapting to the future of pharma, Pasquali is actively shaping it.