Johnson & Johnson MedTech taps Tezel to lead Innovation and R&D

Johnson & Johnson MedTech named Ahmet Tezel as company group chairman and global head of innovation and R&D following the retirement of Peter Shen, the company announced Nov. 7. 

Tezel, who will report to Ashley McEvoy, executive vice president and worldwide chairman of the division, will be responsible for end-to-end aspects of research and development of J&J MedTech. 

After more than 25 years with J&J, Shen will retire at the end of the year. He will work with Tezel until then to ensure a smooth transition. 

Tezel comes to J&J from Somerville-based subsidiary Ethicon where he served as worldwide vice president, R&D. During his tenure, the Ethicon R&D pipeline value increased more than two-fold, according to his hiring announcement. 

He has also held several executive positions in research, development and tech transfer across a wide range of medical specialties and companies, including Alcon and Allergan.  

Tezel earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of California–Santa Barbara in transdermal drug delivery and vaccination, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey. 

In November 2021, J&J announced its plans to split into two publicly traded companies: one focused on consumer health products and the other on pharmaceutical and medical device operations. In February, the company announced the medical devices division would rebrand as Johnson & Johnson MedTech. The split is on track to be completed in 2023.

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