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Johnson & Johnson

Leadership History

Johnson & Johnson: CEO History

4 leaders · 1989 to present

Who is the CEO of Johnson & Johnson?

Joaquin Duato is the CEO of Johnson & Johnson, in the role since 2022. The first chief executive was Ralph Larsen, from 1989.

Current CEO
Joaquin Duato (since 2022)
First CEO
Ralph Larsen (1989)
Leaders documented
4
Founded
1886
NameRoleFromToYears in role
Joaquin DuatoChairman and Chief Executive Officer2022Present4
Alex GorskyFormer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer2012202210
William WeldonFormer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer2002201210
Ralph LarsenFormer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer1989200213
Who was CEO of Johnson & Johnson before Joaquin Duato?
Alex Gorsky was CEO of Johnson & Johnson from 2012 to 2022, before Joaquin Duato took over in 2022.

Company Overview

Johnson & Johnson is one of the largest healthcare companies in the world by revenue and market value. Once known for Band-Aid, Tylenol, and baby powder, it moved those consumer brands into Kenvue in 2023 and now reports two segments: Innovative Medicine and MedTech. In 2025 it generated $94.2 billion in sales with about 140,800 employees, and in 2026 it is aiming for more than $100 billion in revenue during its 140th year. The company is headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Joaquin Duato

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

2022 – Present

4 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Duato became CEO in January 2022 and added the chairman title in January 2023, then led completion of the Kenvue consumer-health separation in 2023, the largest structural change to J&J's business in decades. Since then he has directed capital toward large MedTech and pharmaceutical acquisitions, including Abiomed ($16.6 billion, 2022), Shockwave Medical ($13.1 billion, 2024), and Intra-Cellular Therapies ($14.6 billion, 2025), while managing the company's ongoing talc-litigation liability.

Legacy

Under Duato, J&J's sales reached $94.193 billion in FY2025 with $26.804 billion in net earnings, and the company guides to its first $100 billion year in 2026. He also launched the DePuy Synthes separation and the 2026 talc settlement proposal.

Alex Gorsky

Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

2012 – 2022

10 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Gorsky became CEO in 2012, succeeding Weldon amid a period of manufacturing-quality recalls, and worked to restore J&J's operational reputation while continuing to expand the pharmaceutical and MedTech portfolio through the COVID-19 pandemic, when J&J developed a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine. He also began laying the groundwork for separating the consumer-health business from the higher-margin medicine and device operations.

Legacy

Gorsky's tenure set up the 2023 Kenvue separation completed under his successor and saw J&J's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine authorized in 2021. He also oversaw the $30 billion Actelion acquisition in 2017 and the early years of talc litigation.

William Weldon

Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

2002 – 2012

10 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Weldon became CEO in 2002 and continued J&J's acquisition strategy, notably buying Pfizer's consumer-health division in 2006 for its Listerine and other over-the-counter brands, while steering the company through the 2008 financial crisis without major disruption to its business.

Legacy

Weldon's later years were overshadowed by a wave of consumer product recalls, including Tylenol and Motrin, tied to manufacturing-quality problems. His 2006 purchase of Pfizer's consumer-health business, including Listerine, was one of the largest deals of his tenure. He stepped down as CEO in 2012.

Ralph Larsen

Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

1989 – 2002

13 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Larsen became CEO in 1989 after helping build Tylenol into a blockbuster in the late 1970s, when he was part of the team that grew its sales from $70 million to $500 million within a decade. As CEO, he spent $21.7 billion acquiring more than 40 companies, including Neutrogena, Kodak's clinical-diagnostics business, Cordis, and Centocor, while cutting roughly $2 billion in annual operating costs between 1994 and 1999 and expanding into Russia and Eastern Europe.

Legacy

Larsen's acquisitions, including Neutrogena, Cordis, DePuy, and Centocor, broadened J&J into medical devices and biologics, laying groundwork for today's MedTech segment and immunology franchise.

Challenges & Strategic Context

Key challenges are STELARA biosimilar competition, Medicare drug-price negotiation, completion of the proposed talc settlement, execution of the DePuy Synthes separation, MedTech competition in electrophysiology and robotics, and maintaining R&D productivity.

Johnson & Johnson CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who is Joaquin Duato and what is his leadership background as CEO of Johnson & Johnson?

Joaquin Duato is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson, appointed in January 2022. Born in Valencia, Spain, with an MBA from ESADE, Duato spent 35+ years at J&J, serving as Executive Vice President, Worldwide Chairman of Pharmaceuticals, and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee.

What major strategic transformations has Joaquin Duato executed as CEO?

Under Joaquin Duato, J&J completed the 2023 Kenvue separation, acquired Abiomed ($16.6B), Shockwave Medical ($13.1B), and Intra-Cellular Therapies ($14.6B), announced the separation of DePuy Synthes, and proposed a ~$5.5B talc settlement in July 2026 while targeting more than $100B in 2026 sales.

Who was Alex Gorsky and what was his impact as Chairman & CEO from 2012 to 2021?

Alex Gorsky served as CEO for a decade, transforming J&J into the world's largest biomedical leader, investing heavily in oncology (Darzalex and Imbruvica), overseeing the $30 billion acquisition of Actelion, and manufacturing the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

Who was William C. Weldon and what characterized his tenure as CEO from 2002 to 2012?

William Weldon served as CEO from 2002 to 2012, driving major pharmaceutical pipeline expansions, acquiring Pfizer's consumer healthcare business in 2006 for $16.6 billion, and expanding DePuy orthopedic operations.

Who was Ralph S. Larsen and what were his achievements as CEO from 1989 to 2002?

Ralph Larsen led J&J through a period of large global expansion, tripled annual revenues, launched the Johnson & Johnson Credo survey across worldwide employees, and successfully acquired Neutrogena and DePuy.

Who was James E. Burke and why is his leadership during the 1982 Tylenol crisis well-known?

James E. Burke served as CEO from 1976 to 1989. In 1982, when cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules killed seven people in Chicago, Burke acted decisively under 'Our Credo': pulling 31 million bottles from shelves at a cost of $100 million and inventing triple-seal tamper-evident packaging, establishing the gold standard of corporate crisis leadership.

Who was General Robert Wood Johnson II and how did he shape modern J&J?

General Robert Wood Johnson II led J&J from 1932 to 1963. He wrote 'Our Credo' in 1943, took J&J public in 1944, established decentralized operating divisions, and served as Vice Chairman of the US War Production Board during World War II.

Who are the key executive leaders on the Executive Committee supporting Joaquin Duato today?

Executive leadership includes CFO Joseph Wolk, Worldwide Chairman of MedTech Tim Schmid, and Tom Cavanaugh, who succeeded Jennifer Taubert as Executive Vice President and Worldwide Chairman of Innovative Medicine on September 1, 2026.

Who is the CEO of Johnson & Johnson?

Joaquin Duato serves as CEO, taking over from Alex Gorsky in 2022. Duato brilliantly executed the massive, historic restructuring of the company, officially dropping the iconic "consumer" division to focus entirely on hardcore science. Historically, the most legendary CEO is James Burke, famously praised in every business school for brilliantly handling the highly lethal 1982 Tylenol poisoning crisis.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.