In an article titled “The Supply Chain Engine That Could,” the Wall Street Journal recently highlighted the way Johnson & Johnson is building collaborations to transform its supply chain into an innovation growth engine. To keep pace with “shifting, and sometimes disruptive, marketplace dynamics,” J&J is “tapping into its own network of diverse partners that includes universities, start-ups, and research and development firms.”
AWESOME leader Meri Stevens, VP of strategy and deployment at Johnson & Johnson Supply Chain, is quoted as saying “Fast changes in healthcare and technology are driving the revolution. We’ve responded by transforming our supply chain,” in remarks she made at the 2017 UPS® Healthcare Forum, held in San Diego.
The article goes on to say, “Collaboration between companies isn’t new. But Johnson & Johnson is taking innovation out of the lab and pushing it to every area of the company, from consumer products and medical devices to technology. To do that successfully, however, companies need to develop a corporate culture that supports and prioritizes innovation.”
Johnson & Johnson became AWESOME’s first corporate Host Partner in 2015 by hosting the AWESOME Symposium at J&J World Headquarters in New Brunswick, NJ, and has continued to support AWESOME as a Fifth Anniversary Partner in 2017 and a Champion sponsor in 2018. Meri Stevens has participated as an AWESOME panelist, and Kathy Wengel, EVP & Chief Global Supply Chain Officer for Johnson & Johnson, serves as an AWESOME Advisor. In 2014, prior to becoming an Advisor, Kathy was one of the first recipients of the AWESOME Legendary Leadership (ALL) Award.