Name: Ahmet Tezel
Previous title: Worldwide Vice President Research & Development at Ethicon
New title: Company Group Chairman and Global Head of J&J MedTech Innovation and R&D
Johnson & Johnson is changing the research and development leadership at its $27 billion medtech business. For the past five years, Peter Shen, a J&J veteran who spent two decades at the company, has worked as global head of medtech R&D. Now, with Shen set to retire at the end of the year, Ahmet Tezel will assume the top medtech R&D job at J&J.
Tezel landed the position after spending the past two years as worldwide vice president for R&D at Ethicon, a J&J unit that makes surgical technologies. The Ethicon post was Tezel’s entry into J&J. The executive previously worked at Alcon and on the device team at Allergan.
“This is an incredible time for Johnson & Johnson MedTech, and I’m humbled and excited by the opportunity ahead. It has been a privilege to work closely with my friend and mentor Peter Shen, and I am eager to push the boundaries of R&D to make our solutions smarter, less invasive, and more personalized for the patients and doctors we serve,” Tezel said in a statement.
Tezel’s appointment comes as J&J seeks to beef up its medtech unit under the leadership of new CEO Joaquin Duato. With J&J spinning off its consumer business, Duato has made the expansion of the medtech operation a top priority.
The focus led J&J to sign a $16.6 billion agreement to buy heart pump and circulatory assist maker Abiomed. J&J also is looking to Tezel’s team to support the expansion of the medtech unit, with CFO Joe Wolk using a recent conference call to outline the expectation that “investments in innovation” will “enhance” the competitiveness of the company.
