Ashley McEvoy, after dedicating nearly thirty years of her professional life to Johnson & Johnson, recently announced her departure from her role as Worldwide Chairman of MedTech. Her exit from the company comes as a surprise to many, considering her long-standing and influential tenure.
Commencing her journey with Johnson & Johnson as an assistant product director for Tylenol, McEvoy climbed the corporate ladder with grace and competence. Her transition to the MedTech business in 2009 marked a significant turning point in her career. As the worldwide president of Ethicon, McEvoy exhibited exceptional leadership, overseeing the vision and diabetes care divisions before finally being instated to the chairmanship of the company’s colossal $27 billion MedTech division.Under McEvoy’s tutelage, J&J’s MedTech segment underwent a transformation, driving its growth rate from 1.5% to 8%. She was important in deploying over $22 billion in capital towards acquisitions, diversifying the division’s reach into aspects of healthcare like heart failure, vision, and robotics—a venture that was initiated from the ground up.
McEvoy’s LinkedIn post provides a look into her connection with the company, describing her tenure as the “career of a lifetime.” As well as leading five distinct companies within the J&J umbrella, she managed this while raising a family of five children. Her curiosity and passion for healthcare were evident in her commitment to enhancing global healthcare standards and her pursuit of innovation. Earlier this year, McEvoy was designated the chair of the Medtech trade association AdvaMed. Scott Whitaker, CEO of AdvaMed, lauded her contributions and expressed enthusiasm for her forthcoming endeavors.
Joaquin Duato, CEO of J&J, applauded McEvoy for her instrumental role in the transformation of the company’s MedTech business. He emphasized her commitment to fostering talent and praised her leadership acumen. The spinoff of J&J’s consumer health business brought the MedTech division forward, and McEvoy’s leadership ensured its success.
As the MedTech division adjusts for this change, Tim Schmid is poised to take the free role. Schmid’s experience as the chairman of J&J MedTech Asia Pacific has been highlighted by continuous growth, demonstrating leadership across several ventures, and a reputation for digital innovation. McEvoy’s confidence in Schmid is unwavering, as shown by her mention of him as the perfect leader to continue the MedTech division’s legacy. Schmid reciprocates this sentiment, expressing his eagerness to lead the MedTech team into a new era of healthcare. He has past interactions with McEvoy, stepping in during her maternity leave and later succeeding her role at Ethicon. With Schmid leading MedTech and McEvoy moving on, the future holds both promise and anticipation for the organization
