Mike Doustdar, President and CEO of Novo Nordisk, will Address the National Press Club of Australia on “How Australia Can Lead the World Against Chronic Disease”.

Mike Doustdar, President and CEO of Novo Nordisk, encourages Australia to take a leadership role in the global effort to prevent chronic disease, with particular emphasis on obesity, a significant health and economic concern. Current projections indicate that children born in Queensland today may have a life expectancy five years shorter than their parents due to chronic disease and obesity.

Reflecting on Australia’s success with plain tobacco packaging, this speech advocates for immediate, nationwide collaboration among various sectors to promote equitable access to treatments, pursue policy reforms, enhance urban planning, and support community-based prevention initiatives.

Mr Doustdar joined Novo Nordisk in 1992 as an office clerk in Vienna, Austria. From 1993 through 2007 he took up various positions in finance, IT, logistics, operations and market-ing, within various parts of Novo Nordisk’s emerging markets before he was appointed general manager of Novo Nordisk Near East in 2007.

In 2010 Mr Doustdar was promoted to vice president of Business Area Near East and in 2012 he re-located to Malaysia to head the Business Area Oceania Southeast Asia. In 2013 he was promoted to senior vice president of Novo Nordisk’s International Operations, and in April 2015 Mr Doustdar was promoted to executive vice president, continuing his re-sponsibility for Novo Nordisk’s International Operations. The geographical responsibility of International Responsibilities was expanded throughout Mr Doustdar’s tenure as executive vice president and by 2025 included all global commercial units, excluding the USA.

In August 2025, Mr Doustdar was appointed president and chief executive officer.

Mr Doustdar is registered as an executive of Novo Nordisk A/S with the Danish Business Authority.