100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2021

Johnson & Johnson, the third major player in the vaccine race, also faced court battles in 2021 against its talcum powder products.

Gorsky will step down from his current roles as chair and CEO of the company in January 2022. Gorsky has led the company since 2012. His 60% boost in R&D investment helped make J&J a leader in research, investment, acquisitions and partnerships. Gorsky invested heavily in oncology and acquired Actelion, which expanded J&J’s portfolio of rare disease treatments. He also spearheaded breakthroughs in vaccines for Ebola, HIV and COVID-19.

Gorsky speaks: “I hope we don’t go back to doing business as usual. I think having spent more than 30 years of my life in this industry, I have never seen this level of collaboration as I’ve observed (during the pandemic).”