In a landmark announcement on National Girls & Women in Sports Day, the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) has named Johnson & Johnson as the first-ever winner of its Global Impact Award. The new accolade recognizes the New Brunswick-based healthcare giant for its enterprise-wide leadership and its commitment to shaping the future of global health.
The Global Impact Award was created to honor organizations that go beyond local initiatives, embedding a clear purpose into their global innovation, leadership development, and business performance.
For over a century, Johnson & Johnson has been guided by its “Our Credo”—a values-driven mission statement. The HBA selected the company specifically for its ability to turn those values into measurable outcomes for patients and the healthcare workforce across 60+ countries.
The award committee highlighted several key pillars of J&J’s impact:
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Innovation at scale: In 2025, J&J reported the strongest R&D pipeline in its history, focusing on transformative treatments in Oncology, Immunology, Neuroscience, and Cardiovascular health.
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Workforce development: Through its partnership with the HBA, the company has mentored thousands of emerging female leaders via the HBA Global Ambassador program.
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Community health: The launch of J&J CareCommunity, a social impact platform designed to support nurses and frontline health workers, has significantly expanded access to quality care in underserved regions.
“Health care is inherently global, and leadership must be as well,” Mary Stutts, CEO of the HBA said. “This inaugural award recognizes organizations that embed purpose into how they lead. Johnson & Johnson demonstrates what it looks like to translate values into measurable impact across markets and healthcare systems worldwide.”
Vanessa Broadhurst, executive vice president of Global Corporate Affairs at Johnson & Johnson, expressed the company’s gratitud.
“This recognition affirms our ongoing commitment to developing leaders, nurturing innovation, and advancing partnerships that drive meaningful change for patients everywhere.”
The formal presentation of the award will take place during the HBA Global Ascension Leadership Experience in San Diego, CA, on April 23-24. This summit will gather influential voices from biotech, medtech, and digital health to discuss future-focused leadership and intentional connection in a complex healthcare landscape.
The event will also celebrate other top 2026 honorees, including Dr. Aradhana Sarin of AstraZeneca (Woman of the Year) and Rick Winningham of Theravance Biopharma (Honorable Mentor).
