Interview with Sandoz GmbH CEO Christian Seiwald

Nisha Das
31 May 2004

Is India shining? Going by the interest shown by multinationals, especially IT and pharmaceutical firms, in investing and expanding into India, it would seem that there is a shine to India.

Sandoz India Pvt Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of the global generic pharmaceuticals leader, Sandoz, which develops, manufactures and markets these medicines as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnological active ingredients, inaugurated its third plant in India at Kalwe, Navi Mumbai in the third week of May 2004. The Indian company, now Sandoz Pvt Ltd, has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Novartis AG. In 2003, SPL posted a turnover of Rs2,950 million.

Decades of experience and profound know-how make Sandoz a renowned partner in the franchises pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals and industrial products. Altogether, Sandoz employs around 13,000 people world wide and posted sales of $2.9 billion in 2003.

Sandoz GmbH CEO Christian Seiwald, who was in India recently, has headed Novartis' generics business unit since June 2001. It was in May 2003, when various companies merged to one global brand, that he was appointed CEO of Sandoz. Prior to that, in October 1996, Christian Seiwald was responsible for merging the pharmaceutical divisions of Ciba-Geigy GmbH and Sandoz GmbH. During that time he served as Head of Novartis Pharma GmbH until June 2001.

From 1994 to 1996, Christian Seiwald held the position of Regional Director of Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Singapore Pte Ltd, responsible for affiliates in 14 countries of the Asia / Pacific region, with 3,000 employees. From 1991 to early 1994, he managed a joint venture (PT Sandoz Biochemie Farma Indonesia) in Jakarta. Christian Seiwald was born in St Johann (Tyrol) and studied business administration at the University of Innsbruck. After completing his degree, he attended management courses at Harvard (Boston) and INSEAD (Fontainebleau). Excerpts from an interview: