No. 3: Alex Gorsky

Gorsky was named CEO of Johnson & Johnson in April 2012 and chairman later in the year. As one of the largest and most prominent pharmaceutical companies in the world, Johnson & Johnson was bound to be a critical component of the fight against COVID-19. And the company did not disappoint.

Under Gorsky’s leadership the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID vaccine received the green light for people aged 18 and older on Feb. 27 after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 12-0, with one recusal, to recommend its use. It became the third COVID-19 vaccine available in the U.S. However, unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, J&J’s version requires only one dose. And it does not need deep refrigeration as the others do, meaning that it does not present the same logistical challenges. Thus, it can be distributed more easily and more widely.

Recently, J&J agreed to work with in-state rival Merck to increase production of the shot under a partnership brokered by the Biden Administration. So when the state, the nation and the world needed an organization to take a leadership role amid a public health emergency, Gorsky’s company answered the call.