
Why Skills-First Leadership Is Replacing the Ivy League Playbook in the C-Suite
The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
February 3, 2022: -Novartis reported fourth-quarter operating income slipped 3% despite higher sales as marketing and development costs rose.
The Swiss pharma giant’s quarterly operating income came in at $2.6 billion, it said in a statement on Wednesday. Core operating income rose 9% to $3.8 billion.
This year, it added its expected core operating income to grow in the mid-single-digit percentage range.
Vasant Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” Wednesday that there has been an acceleration in innovative medicine and that this momentum will carry the company onward in 2022.
In October, the drugmaker had raised the possibility of divesting its generic drugs arm, Sandoz. Speaking to CNBC, Narasimhan said: “It’s early days. We have started the strategic review, we are working on the carve-out financials, we have had some inbound interest from a range of different parties, but I would say it is still too early for us to say in which direction the strategic review is going to go.”
He added that Novartis is expecting “more solid proposals” for Sandoz throughout this year, and “we will be able then to take a concrete decision before the end of the year.”
Reports have suggested that Blackstone and Carlyle, two investment groups, are interested in Sandoz and could be joining forces to buy the unit.
The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
Loud leaders once ruled the boardroom. Charisma was currency. Big talk drove big valuations.
But the CEOs who make history in downturns aren’t the ones with the deepest cuts
Companies invest millions in leadership development, yet many of their best executives leave within a few years. Why?
The most successful business leaders don’t just identify gaps in the market; they anticipate future needs before anyone else.
With technological advancements, shifting consumer expectations, and global interconnectedness, the role of business leaders
May 28, 2025: SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight, conducted on May 27, 2025, ended in failure when the spacecraft’s upper stage broke apart during its descent over the Indian Ocean.
May 27, 2025: Greek Coastguards Charged Over 2023 Pylos Migrant Shipwreck That Killed Hundreds
May 27, 2025: Volvo to Cut 3,000 Jobs in Europe as Part of $1.9B Restructuring Amid EV Slowdown and Tariff Pressures.
The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
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