Christine Poon, vice chairman of the board of directors and worldwide chairman, pharmaceuticals group at Johnson & Johnson, will retire in March after almost a quarter-century in the healthcare industry and eight years with J&J. The company did not name a successor to Poon.
    
In a company press release, J&J chairman and CEO William C. Weldon, said: “Chris has been instrumental in helping to build Johnson & Johnson’s pipeline of medicines to its place today as one of the world’s most highly regarded. We will certainly miss Chris’ counsel, her leadership focus in building our pharmaceuticals business and her constant quest to bring better health and well-being to people around the world. She has exhibited strong leadership and personal involvement in building a skilled and diverse workforce. As a member of our executive committee and vice chairman, Chris has helped to shape Johnson & Johnson’s strategy and vision for the future.”
    
Poon’s career with J&J began in November 2000, as company group chairman, pharmaceuticals. In 2001, she was promoted to the executive committee and named worldwide chairman, pharmaceuticals. Poon was appointed worldwide chairman, medicines & nutritionals, in October 2003, and was elected to the company’s board of directors and named a vice chairman of the board in 2005.

Before joining Johnson & Johnson, Poon spent 15 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where she was president of international medicines. Poon is on the board of directors of Prudential Financial, in Newark, NJ, and the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Poon is on the advisory board of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) and was named HBA’s Woman of the Year in 2004.