Giovanni Caforio is currently Chair of the Swiss-headquartered multinational pharmaceutical company Novartis, where he has led the board since 2025. Prior to this, Dr. Caforio spent the majority of his career at U.S. biopharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), which he joined in 2000 following 12 years at Abbott Laboratories. He rose through various leadership roles at BMS before being appointed CEO in May 2015, and shortly thereafter assumed the role of board chair, before stepping down in 2023. During his eight years as CEO, BMS launched 12 new medicines, tripled revenue and made several large, strategic acquisitions. It was a period defined by a commitment to healthcare innovation and growth that saw significant expansion of the company's scale and global reach. Dr. Caforio is a qualified Doctor of Medicine, having graduated from Rome’s Sapienza University in Italy in 1988. He is fluent in Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and English.