Maziar Mike Doustdar

Maziar Mike Doustdar (born August 29, 1970) is an Austrian–Iranian business executive who has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Novo Nordisk since August 7, 2025. He is the first non-Danish person to lead the company since its founding in 1923. Doustdar brings more than 33 years of experience creating value and driving growth. Born in Iran and later grew up in the United States, Doustdar's multicultural background has shaped his global leadership perspective.

Doustdar joined Novo Nordisk in 1992 as an office clerk in Vienna, Austria. From 1993 through 2007 he held various positions in finance, IT, logistics, operations and marketing within Novo Nordisk's emerging markets before being appointed general manager of Novo Nordisk Near East in 2007. His career progressed with roles managing operations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and emerging markets. In 2013 he was promoted to senior vice president of International Operations, and in April 2015 was promoted to executive vice president. Under his leadership over the past decade, Novo Nordisk's International Operations more than doubled sales.

Doustdar holds a BA in International Business from Webster University, Vienna, graduating in 1994. In 2012, he completed an executive programme at Harvard Business School. He is fluent in English, Farsi, and German. From 2017 to 2021, he served on the board of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). Doustdar was included on the 2026 Time 100 list of most influential people in health for his work at Novo Nordisk.

Career History

• 2025–Present: President and Chief Executive Officer, Novo Nordisk
• 2015–2025: Executive Vice President of International Operations, Novo Nordisk
• 2013–2015: Senior Vice President of International Operations, Novo Nordisk
• 2012: Vice President leading Business Area Oceania Southeast Asia (Malaysia)
• 2010–2012: Vice President of Business Area Near East
• 2007–2010: General Manager, Novo Nordisk Near East (based in Turkey)
• 1993–2007: Various positions in finance, IT, logistics, operations and marketing across emerging markets
• 1992: Office Clerk, Novo Nordisk Vienna

What Doustdar could bring to his role as CEO: His promotion followed experience leading International Operations generating DKK 112 billion in annual sales in 2024, positioning him to leverage deep operational expertise and global commercial execution capabilities to navigate Novo Nordisk through competitive market pressures, particularly in obesity and diabetes therapeutics. As CEO, Doustdar has initiated measures to improve efficiency, including a hiring freeze in non-critical areas and a sharper focus on the company's core therapeutic areas of diabetes and obesity.