The First Annual Victor Spathelf Lecture

Alex Gorsky has had a very diverse, fulfilling, and successful career in the field of healthcare. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, in 1982 and following that completed six years in the U.S. Army. 

Mr. Gorsky began his career with Johnson and Johnson in 1988 as a sales representative and over the next 15 years held various positions in sales, marketing, and management. He also received his Masters of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1996.

In 2001, Mr. Gorsky became the president of Janssen Pharmaceutical, a unit of Johnson and Johnson. From there he was named the Company Group Chairman of Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in 2003.

He left Johnson and Johnson to become the head of Pharma North America in 2004 along with the Chief Executive Officer of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in 2005.

In 2008, Mr. Gorsky returned to Johnson and Johnson as the Company Group Chairman for Ethicon and was named Worldwide Chairman of the Surgical Care Group and a member of the Executive Committee in 2009, as well as the Worldwide Chairman of the Medical Devices and Diagnostics Group. Mr. Gorsky became the Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee in 2011. He was promoted to the Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of the Executive Committee in April of 2012, along with a position on the Board of Directors.

In 2012, he assumed his current position as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. He is furthermore actively involved in the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the National Alliance on Aging.

Mr. Gorsky is passionate about his family, American and English literature, and fitness.