Anthropic appoints Novartis Chief Executive Officer to board

Anthropic has appointed Vas Narasimhan to its Board of Directors through the company's Long-Term Benefit Trust.

Narasimhan, a physician-scientist and Chief Executive Officer of Novartis, adds a senior healthcare industry figure to the board of the artificial intelligence company.

The appointment also shifts Anthropic's board governance. Directors chosen by the Long-Term Benefit Trust now hold a majority of board seats.

Anthropic operates as a Public Benefit Corporation. Its board is elected by stockholders and by the Long-Term Benefit Trust, an independent body whose members have no financial stake in the company. The trust is intended to keep governance aligned with both shareholder interests and Anthropic's stated public benefit mission.

Anthropic has presented the appointment as part of that governance role as it expands. Narasimhan joins existing board members Dario Amodei, Daniela Amodei, Yasmin Razavi, Jay Kreps, Reed Hastings, and Chris Liddell.

Healthcare focus

Anthropic said Narasimhan shares its view that healthcare and life sciences are among the sectors where artificial intelligence could have a significant effect on human wellbeing. His background in medicine and drug development gives the board experience in a tightly regulated sector, where scientific advances must pass through long approval processes before reaching patients.

Daniela Amodei, Anthropic's co-founder and president, highlighted that track record in announcing the appointment.

"Vas brings something rare to our board. He's overseen the development and approval of more than 35 novel medicines for the benefit of patients around the world in one of the most regulated industries," said Daniela Amodei, Co-founder and President, Anthropic.

"Getting powerful new technology to people safely and at scale is what we think about every day at Anthropic. Vas has been doing exactly that for years, and I'm grateful he's joining us," Amodei said.

Trust majority

The appointment is notable because it strengthens the influence of the Long-Term Benefit Trust within Anthropic's board structure. The trust was established to support oversight of the company's public benefit mission alongside its commercial objectives, a governance model that has drawn attention as AI companies face increasing scrutiny over safety, accountability, and control.

Neil "Buddy" Shah, chair of Anthropic's Long-Term Benefit Trust, said the trust's role is to appoint directors who can help manage that balance.

"The Long-Term Benefit Trust's role is to appoint directors who will ensure Anthropic responsibly balances its commitment to stockholders and its public benefit mission as the company grows. Vas has spent his career stewarding breakthrough science responsibly-exactly the perspective we are excited to have on the board as we develop consequential technology. We're excited for what he'll bring to the table," said Neil "Buddy" Shah, Chair of Anthropic's Long-Term Benefit Trust.

Industry experience

Narasimhan has spent much of his career in pharmaceuticals and global health. Earlier in his career, he worked on HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis programmes across India, Africa, and South America, and he has continued to support access and global health issues.

His other roles include membership of the US National Academy of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations. He also serves on the University of Chicago Board of Trustees and the Board of Fellows at Harvard Medical School. He previously chaired the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and remains on its board.

That mix of commercial, scientific, and public health experience appears central to Anthropic's choice as it seeks board-level oversight from leaders outside the core technology sector.

Narasimhan linked the appointment to the use of AI in medicine and research.

"Working across medicine, innovation, and global health has shown me the transformative potential of technology when deployed responsibly. In healthcare, AI is accelerating solutions to some of the hardest scientific challenges, from deepening our understanding of disease biology to designing better medicines," said Vas Narasimhan, Chief Executive Officer, Novartis.

"Anthropic is setting the standard for how AI should be developed to benefit humanity, and I'm honored to join the Board and contribute to its mission," Narasimhan said.