Joaquin Duato was born in Valencia, Spain, in 1962, trained at the University of Valencia and ESADE, and built his career at Johnson & Johnson across more than three decades, leading the pharmaceuticals business before being named chief executive in 2022.
His tenure has been defined by the separation of the Kenvue consumer-health business and a sharpened strategic focus on innovative medicines and medical technology, with continued investment in oncology, immunology, neuroscience and surgical robotics.
Duato is also active in industry-wide initiatives on healthcare workforce and on access to medicines in low- and middle-income markets.