Not so fast Danny Boy. Novartis has found a way to screw you too:
Novartis cancels chairman Vasella's $78 million non-compete agreement
By Matthew Dennis
Created 02/19/2013 - 03:59
Novartis announced Tuesday that the non-compete agreement [1] with outgoing chairman Daniel Vasella that was to be worth up to 72 million Swiss francs ($78 million) has been cancelled. Current vice chairman Ulrich Lehner said "we believe the decision to cancel the agreement and all related compensation addresses the concerns of shareholders and other stakeholders."
Last month, Novartis reported [2] that Vasella will not stand for re-election on February 22, with Jörg Reinhardt, chairman of Bayer's healthcare unit, nominated to fill the role effective August 1. However, details of the non-compete agreement, under which Vasella would have received up to 12 million francs ($13 million) annually for six years, were only recently revealed and came just ahead of a Swiss referendum that would give shareholders of companies veto power over executive compensation plans.
Commenting on the news, Vasella remarked that "I have understood that many people in Switzerland find the amount of the compensation...unreasonably high, despite the fact I had announced my intention to make the net amount available for philanthropic activities." Novartis noted that the agreement was "intended to protect the company," as it required that Vasella refrain from making his knowledge and know-how available to competitors.