Chapter 10. The Merger Man: Dan Vasella Brings Novartis to Great Success

This is the story of how mergers played and may well play a major role in the history of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies, Novartis.

The success of the 1996 merger that created Novartis illustrates how mergers can serve as a CRITICAL CAPABILITY for business leaders as they seek to overcome past business reversals. The possibility—perhaps even the likelihood—that Novartis may grow even larger as the result of future mergers, offers further evidence of the way this critical capability offers value for a company.

The formula for success was not going to be easy. Dan Vasella, the head of Novartis, knew that. He knew all too well that THE TWO FIRMS THAT WERE MERGING

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