The creative revolution inside the worlds most dull category - Novartis CMO, Gail Horwood

Novartis CMO Gail Horwood joins Janet Balis, Managing Director & Senior Partner at BCG, to explore how one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies is redefining healthcare marketing.

Fresh from winning two Cannes Lions, Gail shares how Novartis is proving that creativity can thrive even in one of the most heavily regulated industries. From partnering with the NFL for a Super Bowl campaign to convincing stakeholders to embrace bolder ideas, we discuss what it takes to create work that stands out while navigating complex regulations.

The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping both creativity and business transformation, where marketers should focus their efforts, and why the biggest opportunity for AI isn't just efficiency, but unlocking growth.

This episode has been produced in partnership with BCG. Browse their CMO Report here:

https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/making-the-agentic-marketing-transformation-a-reality

Timestamps

00:00 - Start

00:49 - Jon’s full circle moment with Norvatis

01:39 - Novartis’ journey to two Cannes Lions

02:54 - Why more people need to walk the work

04:05 - Creating surprising advertising in a heavily regulated category

09:03 - Partnering with the NFL for a Super Bowl campaign