Alex Gorsky On Meeting the Needs of All Stakeholders in Today’s Society

Last year, Business Roundtable announced the release of a new Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation– that companies must operate for the benefit of all stakeholders – customers, employees, suppliers, communities and shareholders. Alex Gorsky, CEO and Chairman of Johnson & Johnson, makes the case for Business Roundtable’s decision by outlining the value of listening to the voices of all stakeholders, including employees, in order to successfully operate a business.

“The engine of our innovation, of what we do every day, is our employees – it’s the talents and the capabilities they have. There’s an expectation today that the employees want to be part of something bigger than themselves and work for a purpose.” Johnson & Johnson has been long been guided by the values and principles outlined in its Credo, challenging the 130+ year old company to put the needs and well-being of the people they serve first.