Sydney, Australia | July 2026 — Novartis Australia & New Zealand has appointed Anne Harris as Country President, effective 3 August 2026. In her new role, she will lead the company’s strategic direction across Australia and New Zealand, driving commercial growth, strengthening healthcare partnerships, accelerating patient access to innovative medicines, and advancing Novartis’ mission of reimagining medicine through science and technology.
Anne joins Novartis following an outstanding 22-year career with Pfizer, where she held a series of progressively senior leadership roles across Australia, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and emerging markets.
Most recently, she served as Managing Director, Pfizer Australia & New Zealand, leading the organisation through one of the most significant periods in modern healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic while driving commercial performance, organisational transformation, and patient access initiatives across the region.
Earlier, Anne was Vaccines Cluster Lead – Australia, New Zealand & Korea, where she led regional vaccine strategy and commercial execution across key Asia-Pacific markets.
She also held several international leadership positions including Internal Medicine Commercial Development & Smoking Cessation Lead – Emerging Markets, Regional Smoking Cessation & Multichannel Marketing Lead – Asia Pacific China, Regional Multichannel Lead covering Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Korea, and Regional Brand Director – Europe & Canada, building extensive expertise in commercial strategy, digital transformation, product leadership, and market development.
Earlier in her Pfizer career, Anne served as Head of Business Effectiveness – Australia & New Zealand, Head of Field Force Effectiveness, Group Manager – HR Learning & Development, and Training & Development Manager, establishing a strong foundation in organisational capability, leadership development, and commercial excellence.
Anne holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Microbiology from the University of Sydney and a Diploma in Human Resources from Monash University.
With more than two decades of global pharmaceutical leadership experience, Anne brings deep expertise in commercial leadership, vaccines, market access, healthcare partnerships, patient advocacy, digital transformation, organisational development, and regional business strategy to her new role.
About Novartis Australia & New Zealand
Novartis Australia & New Zealand is part of Novartis, one of the world’s leading innovative medicines companies. The organisation supports more than 2.5 million patients across Australia and New Zealand through innovative therapies while partnering with healthcare systems to improve patient access and outcomes. Backed by a robust global research pipeline and extensive clinical trials network, Novartis continues to advance medical innovation through science, technology, and a strong commitment to improving healthcare.
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