Alex Gorsky

Alex Gorsky (born 1960) is an American businessman. He is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson. Gorsky stepped down as CEO of Johnson & Johnson in January 2022 and was succeeded by Joaquin Duato. He was the seventh person who served as the company's chairman and chief executive officer since it became a publicly traded company in 1944.
Early life and education
Gorsky's grandparents immigrated to the United States from Russia and Croatia. Gorsky was born the third of six children of Albert and Loretta (née Bartolac) Gorsky in Kansas City, Kansas. When he was 12, his family moved to Fremont, Michigan, where his father, a Korean War veteran, took a job as a marketing executive for Gerber Foods. In high school, Gorsky was captain of the varsity football team, assuming positions as quarterback and linebacker. He was also captain of the swimming team.
In 1977, as a member of Boy's State, Gorsky was chosen to represent Michigan at the Boy's Nation national conference. In the same year, Congressman Guy Vander Jagt nominated Gorsky to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. In 1981, Gorsky was one of the cadets chosen for the Army Ranger School where he earned a Ranger Tab. In May 1982, when Gorsky graduated from West Point with a Bachelor of Science degree, he joined the Artillery Branch of the U.S Army. As lieutenant at the age of 22, he led an artillery platoon. After six years as an officer, serving in Europe and Panama, he became captain in 1987. In 1988, Gorsky married Patricia Dittrich, a hospital nurse in Carmel, California. Gorsky left the Army in 1988.
Gorsky earned his Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1996.
Career
Janssen
Gorsky joined Johnson & Johnson in 1988 as a sales representative in its pharmaceutical business unit, Janssen Pharmaceuticals. He held various management and leadership roles at Janssen before becoming Company Group Chairman overseeing Europe, Middle East, and Africa in 2003.
Gorsky led the marketing of products such as Risperdal. Ultimately Johnson & Johnson was fined $2.2 billion for strategies that downplayed the drug's side effects, encouraged off-label use, and provided kickback payments to Omnicare, a company that provided drug services to nursing homes.
Novartis
Gorsky joined the Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in 2004 as chief operating officer and head of General Medicines. In 2005, he was appointed Head of Pharmaceuticals North America and Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure, he created the CEO Diversity & Inclusion Award. He oversaw the growth of its cardiovascular and other franchises.
Johnson & Johnson
Gorsky returned to Johnson & Johnson in 2008 when he was appointed company group chairman for Ethicon, Inc. In September 2009, he was promoted to worldwide chairman, medical devices & diagnostics. Then-CEO William C. Weldon chose Gorsky to be vice chairman in the Office of the Chairman. On April 26, 2012, Gorsky was appointed Chief Executive Officer. On December 28, 2012, Gorsky was appointed chairman of the board. A longtime advocate of diversity and inclusion, Gorsky was named one of the "100 Most Inspiring Leaders" by Pharma Voice.
Gorsky oversaw the company's legal defense against talc class action suits and opioid lawsuits. In January 2020, Gorsky testified at the New Jersey trial about Johnson & Johnson's baby powder product.
Under Gorsky's leadership, the company stock more than tripled, and averaged more than a 15% annual return, surpassing the S&P 500. Johnson & Johnson's market capitalization went from nearly $180 billion to more than $470 billion.
"As the world's largest health care company, we are bringing to bear our best scientific minds, and rigorous standards of safety, in collaboration with regulators, to accelerate the fight against this pandemic," Gorsky said in New Jersey Business magazine in 2020. Gorsky attributed the strong multilayered immune response from J&J's vaccine to its innovative adenovirus-vector platform, AdVac, which it has developed over a decade.
Gorsky was the executive sponsor of the J&J Women's Leadership Initiative and the Veteran's Leadership Council. In 2021, with a salary of $23.14 million, he ranked second on the list of highest-paid CEOs in healthcare, according to Becker's Hospital Review.
Gorsky was the speaker at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania 2022 MBA Graduation Ceremony.
Other roles
Gorsky is a member of The Business Council's executive committee and served as the chair of the Business Roundtable Corporate Governance Committee. Since 2014, Gorsky has been on the board of directors at IBM. Gorsky is a board member at Apple, Inc., JPMorgan Chase, and the National Academy Foundation. He is on the advisory board at Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point, and is Co-Chair of the Strategic Investor Initiative (SII) advisory board at Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP). Gorsky is a member of the Bipartisan Policy Center's CEO Council on Health and Innovation and of The Wharton Leadership Advisory Board. Gorsky is vice chairman of the Travis Manion Foundation. Gorsky was on the American Manufacturing Council, and was a member of the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable.
Philanthropy and awards
Gorsky and his wife Pat donated to the Doylestown Health Foundation twice; $5 million in 2017 and $5 million in 2022.
Mentor of the Year by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association in 2009
Joseph Wharton Leadership Award in 2014
CADCA Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2014
Corporate Humanitarian Award by Operation Smile in 2015
Appeal of Conscience Award by Appeal of Conscience Foundation in 2015.
ROBIE Award by the Jackie Robinson Foundation in 2017
Ripple of Hope Award by Robert F Kennedy Human Rights in 2017
Honorary Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson University in 2018
Diversity Inc. Global Inclusive Leaders Award in 2018
Honorary Doctorate from Ferris State University College of Health Profession and Michigan College of Optometry
West Point Distinguished Graduate Award in 2020
Gorsky was ranked #2 on the NJBIZ Manufacturing Power 50 list in 2020
Legend in Leadership Award by Yale School of Management in 2021
Red Jacket Award by PharmaVoice 2021
BENS Eisenhower Award 2021
Top 30 Modern Healthcare Leaders 2022
References
External links
Alex Gorsky Biography
American chief executives of Fortune 500 companies
Johnson & Johnson people
Novartis people
1960 births
Living people
Businesspeople in the pharmaceutical industry
Directors of IBM
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania alumni
United States Military Academy alumni
American corporate directors
21st-century American businesspeople
United States Army officers
20th-century American businesspeople
American health care chief executives
People from Fremont, Michigan
Chief executives in the pharmaceutical industry
Military personnel from Michigan
Directors of Apple Inc.