Joe Jimenez says that more than 20 years selling Clorox bleach and Heinz ketchup taught him to make decisions quickly. Now, as CEO of Novartis, Europe's second-largest drugmaker, he'll try to prove that speed can also make a difference in the pharmaceutical business. Jimenez, 50, is replacing Daniel Vasella, 56, who oversaw the merger of Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy that created Novartis in 1996 and has run the company ever since.rnAt the moment, Jimenez is basking in the glow of Novartis' fourth - quarter results: Net income advanced 49% year over year to $2.32 billion on $12.6 billion in sales, up 28%.
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