Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan are senior global executives whose clearest documented connection is through international business and technology forums rather than a shared company. Both were members of the Singapore Economic Development Board’s International Advisory Council as of June 2024, and both previously contributed expert perspectives to a major Citi and Oxford Martin School report on technology and the future of work.
Today, their careers are centered in very different industries. Schulman is CEO of Verizon after previously leading PayPal, while Narasimhan remains CEO of Novartis and in 2026 joined the board of artificial-intelligence company Anthropic.
The Documented Connection Between Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan
The strongest direct institutional link between Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan comes from Singapore.
In a June 12, 2024 announcement, the Singapore Economic Development Board, or EDB, listed both executives among the 16 members of its International Advisory Council. Narasimhan was identified as CEO of Novartis International AG, while Schulman was listed as former president and CEO of PayPal.
The IAC is not a corporate board controlling a single business. EDB describes it as a platform that gives Singapore access to the views of international industry leaders as the country considers competitiveness, investment, technology, industrial policy and broader economic strategy. EDB established the council in 1994, with its first meeting held in 1995.
Their appearance on the same council therefore establishes a genuine professional overlap, but it should not be interpreted as evidence that Schulman and Narasimhan operate a business together.
The June 2024 EDB release establishes their membership at that point in time. It does not, by itself, confirm that both remain members of the council in September 2026.
They Also Shared a Platform on the Future of Technology and Work
Another notable connection predates their EDB roles.
Citi’s 2019 Technology at Work v4.0: Navigating the Future of Work, produced in connection with research from the Oxford Martin School, included both Narasimhan and Schulman among its expert contributors. The report examined how artificial intelligence, automation, digitization and other technologies could reshape employment and business.
The report’s contributor list identified Narasimhan with Novartis and Schulman with PayPal. Their contributions were separate rather than a jointly written chapter, so describing them as co-authors of a joint argument would overstate the relationship.
Their individual comments, however, reveal an interesting similarity in how they approached technology.
Narasimhan discussed AI, machine learning, data and digital technology as forces capable of changing pharmaceutical research, clinical trials, manufacturing and workforce requirements. He argued that employees would increasingly need a combination of technical expertise and human qualities such as creativity and empathy.
Schulman focused on AI, machine learning, 5G, changing business models and the need for continuous employee learning. His contribution stressed that technology should ultimately be deployed around customer needs instead of innovation being pursued simply for its own sake.
That shared appearance helps explain why the two names can surface together in searches about executive leadership, technological disruption and the future of large organizations.
Who Is Dan Schulman?
Dan Schulman is the chief executive officer of Verizon Communications. Verizon appointed him CEO in October 2025 after he had served on the company’s board since 2018 and became its lead independent director in December 2024.
He is particularly associated with PayPal, where he served for nine years as president and CEO. According to Verizon’s corporate biography, PayPal’s revenue increased from roughly $8 billion to $30 billion during that period, while the company expanded its global payments platform and customer base.
Schulman’s career extends well beyond digital payments. He has held senior positions at AT&T, Priceline, Virgin Mobile USA and American Express, giving him experience across telecommunications, consumer technology, mobile services and financial services.
He also has extensive board experience. Lazard identifies him as its lead independent director and lists other current or previous affiliations involving JUST Capital, Cleveland Clinic, Cisco, Flex and other organizations.
Schulman’s Position at Verizon in 2026
Schulman is now leading another corporate transformation, this time in telecommunications.
Verizon’s July 2026 results showed that the company raised several elements of its full-year outlook following its second quarter. Verizon forecast 2026 mobility and broadband service revenue growth of 2.5% to 3.0% and adjusted EPS of $4.99 to $5.04. These are company-reported figures and forecasts rather than guarantees of future performance.
His move from PayPal to Verizon also brings Schulman back toward an industry in which he spent a substantial part of his earlier career. Before his fintech leadership years, he spent 18 years at AT&T and eventually led its consumer division.
Who Is Vas Narasimhan?
Vasant “Vas” Narasimhan is a physician-scientist and the CEO of Novartis. He has held the top position since 2018 and originally joined Novartis in 2005.
Before becoming CEO, Narasimhan held several senior roles inside the pharmaceutical group, including Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Global Head of Development for Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and leadership positions involving vaccines and biopharmaceutical development.
His educational background combines science, medicine and public policy. Novartis states that he earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago, an M.D. from Harvard Medical School and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Under Narasimhan, Novartis has concentrated its strategy around innovative medicines and technology platforms including radioligand therapies, siRNA treatments, and cell and gene therapies. The company also describes data science and digital technology as important parts of its research and operational transformation.
Narasimhan’s Position in 2026
Novartis continues to identify Narasimhan as CEO in 2026.
For the second quarter of 2026, the company reported net sales of $14.408 billion, up 3% in U.S. dollar terms and 1% at constant currencies compared with the same quarter in 2025. Novartis also reaffirmed its 2026 guidance while reporting growth from medicines including Kisqali, Kesimpta, Scemblix, Pluvicto and Leqvio.
Narasimhan also expanded his involvement in artificial intelligence in April 2026 when Anthropic’s Long-Term Benefit Trust appointed him to Anthropic’s board of directors. Anthropic specifically cited his experience overseeing medicine development in a heavily regulated industry and the potential application of AI in healthcare and life sciences.
That appointment is particularly relevant because Narasimhan had already been discussing AI’s potential in pharmaceutical research years earlier.
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Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan Compared
Despite working in different sectors, the two executives have several overlapping leadership themes.
| Area | Dan Schulman | Vas Narasimhan |
|---|---|---|
| Current primary role | CEO of Verizon | CEO of Novartis |
| CEO appointment | Verizon CEO since October 2025 | Novartis CEO since 2018 |
| Best-known previous role | President and CEO of PayPal | Senior Novartis drug-development and medical leadership roles |
| Main industry background | Telecom, payments, technology and financial services | Pharmaceuticals, medicine, biotechnology and drug development |
| Technology focus | Digital platforms, AI, connectivity, customer technology | AI, data science, advanced therapeutics and drug development |
| Shared documented forum | Singapore EDB International Advisory Council | Singapore EDB International Advisory Council |
| Earlier shared publication | Citi Technology at Work v4.0 expert contributor | Citi Technology at Work v4.0 expert contributor |
| Major 2026 technology-related role | Leading Verizon’s technology and telecom strategy | Anthropic board member |
Current-role information is supported by Verizon, Novartis and Anthropic, while the shared EDB membership is specifically documented as of June 12, 2024.
A Shared Theme: Transforming Large, Regulated Businesses
The similarities between Schulman and Narasimhan are more meaningful at the level of management strategy than industry.
Both have spent significant parts of their careers running organizations in sectors where innovation interacts with regulation, consumer trust and large-scale infrastructure. Payments and telecommunications involve financial, privacy, competition and network rules. Pharmaceuticals face clinical-development requirements, drug approvals, manufacturing standards and extensive safety oversight.
They have also both publicly emphasized technological change without presenting technology as an isolated solution.
Schulman’s 2019 discussion of the future of work tied AI and connectivity to continuous learning, customer needs and organizational culture. Narasimhan’s contribution from the same report connected AI and digital tools with pharmaceutical R&D while emphasizing employee development and human skills.
That common emphasis is significant because it predates the current generative-AI boom. Both were discussing AI’s impact on industries and workers in 2019, several years before today’s widespread deployment of generative AI systems.
Narasimhan’s 2026 Anthropic appointment makes that connection especially visible on the healthcare side. Schulman’s return to telecom through Verizon places him in an industry responsible for much of the connectivity and infrastructure on which modern digital services depend.
Are Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan Business Partners?
There is no publicly documented joint operating company or conventional business partnership between Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan in the authoritative sources establishing their careers and current roles.
Their verified overlaps are instead institutional and intellectual. They were listed together on Singapore EDB’s International Advisory Council in 2024 and appeared among the expert contributors to Citi’s 2019 future-of-work project.
They should therefore not be described as co-founders, corporate partners or executives of the same company without separate evidence supporting such a claim.
Do Verizon and Novartis Have a Relationship Through Them?
Schulman’s leadership of Verizon and Narasimhan’s leadership of Novartis does not by itself imply a corporate relationship between the two companies.
Verizon is principally a telecommunications and connectivity business, while Novartis is an innovative medicines company. The two executives’ shared advisory activities are personal professional roles involving international leadership networks rather than evidence of common ownership or executive control.
Any commercial arrangements that might exist between large global companies should also not be interpreted as a personal partnership between their CEOs unless a specific agreement says so.
Why the Pair Matters in Discussions About AI
The technology angle is arguably the most interesting connection between these two executives.
Back in 2019, Narasimhan was already describing AI and machine learning as technologies capable of improving pharmaceutical manufacturing, clinical-trial design and drug-target discovery. Schulman was simultaneously discussing AI, machine learning, 5G and the need for companies to adapt their workforce as technology changed business models.
By 2026, those themes had moved closer to the center of their respective industries.
Narasimhan’s appointment to Anthropic’s board directly connects pharmaceutical leadership with one of the major companies developing advanced AI systems. Anthropic said healthcare and life sciences are areas where AI could have substantial positive impact, while emphasizing Narasimhan’s experience introducing innovations within a tightly regulated environment.
Schulman, meanwhile, is overseeing Verizon at a time when connectivity infrastructure, enterprise networks and digital services are increasingly intertwined with AI deployment. His career has repeatedly placed him at the intersection of consumer behavior and major technology shifts, first through telecommunications and mobile services, then digital payments, and now telecommunications again.
What Is Verified and What Remains Unconfirmed?
Several facts about Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan can be stated confidently.
Both have led major multinational companies. Both were officially listed on the Singapore EDB International Advisory Council in June 2024. Both contributed to Citi’s 2019 Technology at Work v4.0 project. Schulman is currently Verizon’s CEO, while Narasimhan remains Novartis CEO and became an Anthropic board member in 2026.
What should not be inferred from those connections is equally important. Their shared appearances do not establish a family relationship, shared ownership of a company, a private investment partnership or a joint executive role.
Reliable corporate sources also do not provide a verified personal net-worth figure for either executive. Online estimates of executive wealth often combine assumptions about stock ownership, compensation and private assets, so such figures should not be treated as established fact without supporting financial disclosures.
FAQ
Are Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan related?
No family relationship between Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan is documented in their official corporate biographies or the authoritative sources describing their shared professional activities. Their known connection is professional rather than familial.
Do Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan work together?
They do not currently run the same company. Schulman leads Verizon and Narasimhan leads Novartis, although they have participated in the same international advisory and thought-leadership settings.
What organization connected Dan Schulman and Vas Narasimhan?
The Singapore Economic Development Board listed both as members of its International Advisory Council as of June 12, 2024. The council brought together 16 leaders from major international organizations to provide perspectives relevant to Singapore’s economic strategy.
What does Dan Schulman do now?
Dan Schulman is CEO of Verizon. He took the position in October 2025 after previously serving on Verizon’s board and spending nine years as president and CEO of PayPal.
What does Vas Narasimhan do now?
Vas Narasimhan is CEO of Novartis, a position he has held since 2018. In April 2026, he was also appointed to Anthropic’s board of directors.
What do Schulman and Narasimhan have in common professionally?
Both have led large multinational organizations through technology-driven change, have participated in international business advisory networks, and have publicly discussed how AI and digital technology could reshape industries and employment. Their industries differ significantly, but their leadership careers overlap around technology, organizational transformation and operating within heavily regulated markets.
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