Klaus M. Leisinger

President and Chief Executive Officer, Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development.

Klaus M. Leisinger studied economics and social sciences at the University of Basel, Switzer­land, earned his doctorate in Economics, and did his post-doc (habilitated) in Sociology on “Health Policy for Least Developed Countries.”
He spent several years in East Africa as CEO of the former Ciba Pharmaceuticals regional office. After his return to Switzerland, he managed the company’s international relations. Further, Klaus Leisinger led the company’s philanthropy and development assistance programs for more than 25 years. These initiatives have benefited millions of poor people in developing countries, be it through the cure of leprosy and other diseases, agricultural development or socio-economic development.
In addition to his position at Novartis, Klaus Leisinger is Professor of Sociology at the University of Basel and serves as invited lecturer or guest professor at several European and US-American universities, e.g. the University of Notre Dame, the MIT Sloan School of Management (Cambridge), and at Harvard University. He is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in Theology by the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) in 2004.
Klaus Leisinger has held numerous advisory positions in organizations such as the UN Global Compact, the UN Development Program, the World Bank (CGIAR), the Asian Development Bank as well as the Economic Commission for Latin America. He also serves as the president of the Board of Trustees of the German Network Business Ethics. Until December 2006, he also served as the Special Advisor of the UN Secretary General for the UN Global Compact. The Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Develop­ment (NFSD) with its think tank, networking and philanthropic work is unique in the private sector, it has consultative status to the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC). Klaus Leisinger has led the NFSD since its inception in 1996.