As chief executive officer and board member of Organon & Co., Ali is at the helm of the only global women’s health company of its kind. The veteran pharma leader drove the establishment of the Jersey City-based company, which was formed in June 2021 through a spinoff from Merck, with the goal of addressing significant health issues that women face around the world.

Since then, Ali – who had more than three decades of leadership experience with Merck – has helped position Organon as a global leader and difference maker in the women’s health space, covering more than 60 medicines and products across areas including heart disease, dermatology, allergies and asthma.

Within its first year, Organon closed several deals, acquiring targets such as clinical-stage drug development company Forendo Pharma and medical device company Alydia Health. The health care company has also established public-private partnerships, including a multiyear initiative aimed at improving access to family planning information and contraceptives.

Organon’s largest program, the Her Promise Access Initiative, was launched in support from partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United Nations Population Fund. Building upon previous programming launched last year, Organon introduced additional efforts in March 2023 to accelerate progress toward addressing the public health crisis of unplanned pregnancy, with Ali saying, “Empowering women with broad contraceptive access and education is a fundamental driver of equity and helping women decide when – and if – they decide to start a family.”