Novartis appointed Jeff George as division head of Alcon, effective May 1, 2014. He succeeds Kevin Buehler who is retiring from the company after a 30-year career at Alcon. As part of the planned transition,  Buehler will provide management and strategic support on the Alcon business. 

Richard Francis has been appointed as new Division Head of Sandoz, succeeding Jeff George. Richard Francis joins Novartis from Biogen Idec, where he has held roles of increasing responsibility across several therapeutic areas in both Europe and the United States over his 13-year career with the company.

As Division Head of Alcon, Jeff George will continue to serve as a member of the Executive Committee of Novartis, reporting to Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis. Since joining Novartis in January 2007, he has held leadership positions of increasing importance in the Vaccines and Diagnostics Division and the Pharmaceuticals Division, becoming Division Head of Sandoz in December 2008. He grew Sandoz sales from $7.5 billion in 2009 to $9.2 billion in 2013. He holds an MBA from Harvard University, an MA from Johns Hopkins, and a BA from Carleton College.

As Division Head of Sandoz, Mr. Francis will become a member of the Executive Committee of Novartis, reporting to Joseph Jimenez. He most recently served as Biogen Idec’s senior vice-president, US Commercial Operations and previously held leadership roles across commercial and sales in Sanofi and Wyeth. A British citizen, he graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Source: Novartis