Korab Zuka: Socially-Driven Sustainability at Novartis

Novartis, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, has sharpened its sustainability focus under the leadership of Korab Zuka, who took the role of Global Head of Social Impact and Chief Sustainability Officer at the end of 2024.

Korab, who joined Novartis less than a year ago, brings a career shaped by social impact work in both the public and private sectors. His role unites sustainability, access to medicine and the company’s philanthropic foundations under one strategy.

For Korab, sustainability is about more than environmental targets. It is intrinsically tied to human health and to Novartis’ mission of widening access to its scientific breakthroughs. As he puts it: “In order for people to have healthy lives, you have to have a healthy planet.”

A journey rooted in impact

While Korab has forged his career across some of the world’s most influential health organisations, his professional beginnings were far from corporate headquarters.

“I worked at the UN Mission in Kosovo,” Korab recalls, reflecting on his early post as a young professional in his home country. “That was the first time I fell in love with wanting to do something that could really have an impact.”

Over the following years, he transitioned from global diplomacy into health-focused non-profits, where he worked on reducing patients’ out-of-pocket costs in Washington DC. That experience, Korab explains, underscored the structural challenges around equity in healthcare.

Later, he moved into the corporate world with senior roles at Gilead Sciences, Bristol Myers Squibb, and now Novartis. Each step expanded the scale of his impact, drawing together themes of sustainability, philanthropy, and access to innovation.

“Each of the roles I’ve had, I’ve gravitated toward places that enabled me to see real-world impact,” Korab says.

Moving to Novartis

Joining Novartis after years in US-based positions has brought both professional and personal transitions. Now based in Switzerland, he is leading Novartis’ social impact and sustainability agenda, combining a long track record of corporate responsibility with a new global perspective.

“I’ve always admired Novartis,” Korab says. “It has been on the leading edge when it comes to both social impact and sustainability. Even if you look at our net zero target, it’s set for 2040 – one of the most ambitious in the pharma industry.”

What impressed him most was not just the bold goal-setting but the focus on execution. “When you actually dig into the execution, you see so much work happening to substantiate those aspirations. That’s admirable for anyone joining in this space.”

Advice for the next generation

For aspiring sustainability leaders, Korab emphasises communication inside the organisation.

“I always emphasise the importance of internal storytelling,” he says. “Sustainability does not exist in a silo; it has to engage the whole organisation in the vision.”

Teams are small, so influence and persuasion become essential. “You have to use influence, you have to connect the dots, and you have to translate strategy into what the day-to-day worker sees as their contribution,” Korab explains. “It’s the only way to multiply impact.”

For him, sustainability leadership is about persistence and connection, not technical fixes alone. “It is really only through our collective efforts that we’ll be able to make a difference.”

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