Alex Gorsky

April and Jay Graham Fellow
George W. Bush Institute

Alex Gorsky is the Former Chairman & CEO of Johnson & Johnson, and one of just seven leaders to have served in the dual role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since the company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1944.

Alex began his Johnson & Johnson career as a sales representative with Janssen Pharmaceutica in 1988. Over the next three decades, he advanced through positions of increasing responsibility in sales, marketing, and management, culminating in being named CEO and Chairman in 2012.

Under his leadership, Johnson & Johnson reimagined how one of the world’s most iconic companies could meet the healthcare needs of families around the globe—powered by a more than 60% increase in R&D investments to $12 billion in 2020, as well as hundreds of acquisitions and partnerships that contributed to growth across its Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical, and Consumer Health sectors. As part of Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to serving more than a billion people each day, Alex oversaw significant breakthroughs in vaccine programs, including the successful deployment of the Ebola regimen in Africa and the end-to-end development of the Janssen single-shot COVID-19 vaccine in just 13 months.

During Alex’s time as CEO, Johnson & Johnson was consistently recognized as one of the most innovative and best-managed companies in the world—featured on the list of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies in each year of his tenure, recognized as a “Most Innovative Company” by Fast Company, repeatedly named to Fortune’s “Change the World” list, and ranked as the #1 best-run healthcare company in The Wall Street Journal Management Top 250 since its inception in 2017. Alex continually promoted a more diverse and inclusive culture at Johnson & Johnson, serving as the driving force behind many of the company’s DE&I initiatives, including a $100 million pledge to fight health inequities faced by communities of color in the United States.

Outside Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Gorsky’s influence has shaped both the healthcare landscape and the greater business community through his work as Chair of the Business Roundtable Corporate Governance Committee and as a member of the Business Council Executive Committee. Among other accolades, he has been honored with the Ripple of Hope Award by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (2017), the MLK Remembrance Award by the African American Leadership Council ERG (2018), and the BENS Eisenhower Award for outstanding contributions to The United States (2021). Alex currently sits on the Board of Directors of Apple, IBM, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the Travis Manion Foundation, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Board of Advisors.

After completing his undergraduate education at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Mr. Gorsky served six years in the Army, earning the rank of captain, the Ranger tab, and Airborne wings. He earned his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1996. Alex has been married to his wife, Pat, for more than 30 years, and they are the parents to one son, Nick.

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