Johnson & Johnson MedTech Global VP Larry Jones Departs After 35-Year Tenure

Just 9 hours ago,Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)MedTechGlobal Vice President and Group Chief Information Officer Larry Jones announced his decision to leave.

On the LinkedIn platform, Jones reflected emotionally: "Looking back on the 35 glorious years spent at Johnson & Johnson, my heart is filled with deep nostalgia for those extraordinary times we shared."

During his tenure at Johnson & Johnson's medical device division, Jones has been particularly dedicated to driving the company's innovation in oncology, orthopedics, cardiovascular, and general surgery. He has also spearheaded the revolution of digital surgical connectivity solutions through advanced technologies such as surgical robotics and machine learning platforms.

Global Vice President and Group Chief Information Officer Larry Jones

As a seasoned technology executive, Jones has extensive leadership experience and has led several major projects in Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical and medical device divisions over the decades, including the recent three-year, $200 million global digital transformation initiative.

Under his leadership, the team adheres to diversity and core values, continuously striving for excellence in employee engagement and technical execution.

According to LinkedIn, Jones is passionate about the prospect of using cutting-edge technology to improve healthcare outcomes and has been invited to serve on the advisory boards for healthcare at Microsoft and Verizon.

Image source: LinkedIn

"For my friends and companions throughout this journey, this is not a farewell — just a 'see you later'," as he embarks on "an exciting new chapter in life and career."

When asked when he would officially leave or if someone would replace him, Jones said he would share more details when available.

According to the 2024 MedTech 100 ranking by *Medical Design & Outsourcing* magazine, Johnson & Johnson Medical Technologies achieved annual sales exceeding $30 billion.Is the world's second-largest medical device company。

After the official announcement of his departure, Mr. Jones received blessings from his former colleagues at Johnson & Johnson Medical in the LinkedIn comments section.

Notably, in recent years, there have been frequent changes in the core senior management positions at Johnson & Johnson.

In February this year,Chairman of Johnson & Johnson Medical, Head of Johnson & Johnson Surgical BusinessMr. Vladimir MakatsariaAnnounced officiallyFrom Johnson & Johnson MedicalResignation.

Next, he will head to the global leader in neuromodulation.Livanova(Linorfa) assumes officeCEOAnd become a member of the company's board of directors。

Before this new appointment, Mr. Makatsaria worked in the medical device business of Johnson & Johnson.For up to 30 years,A founding-level骨干 of Johnson & Johnson Medical。

Since joining Johnson & Johnson in 1996, he has worked his way up from the grassroots to become a global regional business leader.Vice President、President, then byRegional ChairPromoted to Johnson & Johnson Medical GroupChairman、Global Head of the Surgical (Ethicon) Business Unit。

During 2013-2018, he also served in the Asia-Pacific business andChina Region BusinessChairman。

At the end of last year, McEvoy (on the right in the photo below), the Global Chair and Executive Vice President of Johnson & Johnson Medical, announced her resignation.

Left: Tim Schmid, newly appointed Global Chairman and Executive Vice President of Johnson & Johnson Medical Technologies

Right: Ashley McEvoy, former Worldwide Chairman and Executive Vice President of Johnson & Johnson Medical Technologies

Ms. McEvoy previously served at Johnson & Johnson for a tenure of 27 years.

She has successively served in Johnson & Johnson MedicalSurgical ServicesEthiconGlobal President,Johnson & Johnson VisionGroup Chairman andDiabetesChairman of the Nursing Group.

Officially assumed the position of Global Chairman of Johnson & Johnson Medical in 2018, at thisDuring this period, she led the company to officially enter the fields of telemedicine, robotics, and digital surgery.

Moreover, Ms. McEvoy currently serves as the Chair of the Board of AdvaMed (Advanced Medical Technology Association).

It is reported that during McEvoy's tenure, the performance growth of Johnson & Johnson Medical Technologies increased from 1.5% to 8%, and more than 22 billion US dollars were invested in business acquisitions.

Last May,According to foreign media MASS DIVE reports,Johnson & Johnson Medical Electrophysiology Division Biosense Webster Appoints Jasmina Brooks as President

The former president of the electrophysiology department who held this position for 10 yearsMichael Bodner has been transferred to Johnson & Johnson MedicalCardiac RehabilitationGlobal Head.

As the new president of electrophysiology, Brooks will be responsible for formulating Biosense Webster's global strategy and advancing its innovation agenda to drive the company’s continued growth.

Compared to Mr. Makatsaria and Ms. McEvoy's nearly 30-year executive careers at Johnson & Johnson Medical, Brooks, who has been newly promoted this time, represents relatively "fresh blood."

SheJoined Johnson & Johnson in 2014 and held multiple positions within the global strategic marketing organization of Biosense Webster, primarily focusing onElectrophysiology.

Before joining Biosense Webster, Brooks held various leadership roles in marketing, global strategic marketing, product development, and engineering at companies such as GE Healthcare for over a decade.

However, it's not just the headquarters; Johnson & Johnson Medical China's leadership team is also undergoing a major "shake-up."

In July this year,Johnson & Johnson Medical announced重磅消息 through an internal email, appointing Edward Zhou (周敏涛) as the new President for China, succeeding Song Weiqun.

And in the months before,ChinaSurgeryGeneral Manager of the Division,China RegionHuman ResourcesPerson in charge,Johnson & Johnson VisionVice President of Mainland China and Hong Kong Region,Johnson & JohnsonEye HealthLeader of Cataract Division, China Region,ChinaSales DirectorImportant positions such as these have also seen a wave of personnel changes.

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In the short term, frequent personnel changes in top medical device companies are not accidental. Behind them often lie the combined effects of fierce market competition, industry shifts, and internal strategic adjustments as well as performance pressures.

So, what kind of game is Johnson & Johnson playing? Is there a new strategy brewing behind the frequent changes?

In the strides toward a "New Johnson & Johnson," Johnson & Johnson Medical has undergone a significant and bold transformation.

At the end of last year (December 13, 2023),Johnson & Johnson MedicalOnce announced to be $280 million (approximately RMB2 billion) The price of its subsidiary Acclarent ENT was sold to the neuromodulation leader Integra LifeSciences.

The Acclarent subsidiary sold by Johnson & Johnson this time isOne of the largest providers of balloon sinus dilation globally，It is also one of the main business branches of Johnson & Johnson Medical, belonging to the Johnson & Johnson Surgery (Ethicon) department.

However, this is not Johnson & Johnson's first "cut" in recent years.

FromSplitting off the Consumer Health division for an independent listing, by last JulyFor $106.5 million (approximately770 millionRMB)Sell the entire Blink product line to rival Bausch + Lomb，Until the announcement toUp to 700 to 800 million US dollars (approximately RMB5.1 billionTo5.8 billionYuan) priceReorganizationDePuy Synthes Orthopedics Business。

In addition, this MayIn the month, Johnson & Johnson spun off and listed its consumer health business.Kenvue(Cofo) Nearly a year later, it sold all of its remaining shares.With this, Johnson & Johnson completely exits the consumer health sector.

A series of initiatives have confirmed what Du Anqing, the new CEO of Johnson & Johnson, explained when he took office."Focus on pharmaceuticals, accelerate and simplify healthcare business" general direction。

Not only does Johnson & Johnson dare to "cut branches and leaves" by divesting non-core businesses to focus on high-growth areas, but it also dares to "spend heavily" to rapidly expand its capabilities and seize market opportunities through acquisitions and other means.

Just last month (October 9, 2024), Johnson & Johnson announced that it hasSuccessfully Completed the Acquisition of the Manufacturer of Implantable Devices for Treating Heart FailureV-WaveThe acquisition,The transaction is worth up to 1.7 billion US dollars (approximately RMB12.1 billion）。

The first half of this year, StrongSurvival DeclarationBuyi$13.1 billion (approximately RMB 95 billion) Bringing cardiovascular leader Shockwave Medical under its wing.

Mentioning Shockwave Medical, in recent years, the "legend" about this company has been widely circulated. For instance, Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, and Boston Scientific, which have consistently ranked among the top three in the cardiovascular field, have all extended olive branches to it.

As the dust settles on this three-way battle, the balance of power in the cardiovascular sector will once again tilt.

Analysts say that after the success of this acquisition, Johnson & Johnson is expected to replace Medtronic and ascend to the top position in the global medical device industry.

At the end of last year (November 30), Johnson & JohnsonIn$400 million (approximately RMB 2.86 billion)The prepayment completes the acquisition of Laminar, a left atrial appendage device manufacturer.After the acquisitionLaminar will be includedJohnson & Johnson Electrophysiology Biosense WebsterBusiness Segments.

Besides acquisitions in the past two years, Johnson & JohnsonAnother Important AcquisitionOccurred at the end of the year before last, when Johnson & Johnson$170 billionAcquisition of Artificial Heart ManufacturerAbiomed, The effectiveness of this huge acquisition has been reflected in the annual report of the first year after the acquisition.

It is reported that, excluding international currency fluctuations, the global operational sales of Johnson & Johnson's medical device segment increased by 12.4% in 2023, with total revenue reaching $30.4 billion.

Johnson & Johnson's "Focus on High-Growth Businesses" Strategy Seems to Be Getting Positive Feedback.

With a series of high-level personnel changes and business strategy adjustments, Johnson & Johnson Medical is entering a brand-new stage of development.

These changes are not only a passive optimization of the company's current business structure, but also an active response and strategic layout for future market competition.

After a large-scale reshuffle of personnel and production lines, some people choose to leave, while others choose to join. For this veteran giant, there is pain but also renewal.