Vice President
Enterprise Supply Chain Chief Procurement Officer
Johnson & Johnson
As Chief Procurement Officer for J&J, Anu is responsible for developing and executing supplier and spend management strategies, shaping the supplier base and connecting Procurement resources to mitigate risk, maximize supplier quality and reliability, improve total cost of ownership and attract supplier-enabled innovation. She joined J&J 25 years ago as a scientist in the Pharmaceuticals group. Anu currently serves on the DCAT (The Drug, Chemical and Associated Technology Association) Board and Executive Committee as Segment Vice President for Pharmaceuticals.
Complete bio follows the Q&A.
Q: What are the skills and qualities needed to be effective in the area of procurement?
A: Procurement offers a unique opportunity to interface between the external world of partners and suppliers and the internal world of stakeholders and business needs. The ability to connect effectively both internally and externally is a critical capability – understanding business objectives and translating them into supplier strategies. Another key skillset required in Procurement is the ability to collaborate and create win -win opportunities, as well as shaping the supplier base both for the short and long term. Strong leadership skills and an enterprise mind-set to drive value for the entire corporation are key qualities.
Q: Starting as a scientist with J&J, at what point in your career did you get your MBA, and why did you decide to do that?
A: I have passion for lifelong learning and personally get a lot out of learning environments. I was on a PhD track until I realized that working full time as a Scientist and a PhD in Biochemistry were not the ideal mix. At the same time, working for a large Healthcare company, I saw the potential of being able to contribute in multiple ways. I decided to do a lane switch to an MBA with a concentration in pharmaceuticals. I felt that this would help me gain deeper insights in the end to end workings of the industry, have access to industry experts and build my network. I got my MBA while working full time, and that helped me translate my learnings into the work environment, and have robust discussions with in-house experts.
Q: Do you think it’s important to be involved in industry or outside organizations – such as DCAT, in your case — and if so, why?
A: It is very important for leaders to understand and shape the external environment. Each year I take a quick time out to reflect on emerging trends, opportunities and key external networks. I scan for the appropriate forums that impact our work and how I can help shape the external environment to make it better for our industry. Also, the ability to discuss areas of mutual interest with other leaders is very powerful as I believe there is always something to be learned.
Biography
Anu Hans is Vice President & Enterprise Supply Chain Chief Procurement Officer.
In this role, Anu is responsible for developing and executing supplier and spend management strategies, shaping the supplier base and connecting Procurement resources to ensure risk mitigation, maximizing supplier quality and reliability, improving total cost of ownership and attracting supplier-enabled innovation.
Most recently, Anu was Group Chief Procurement Officer for Janssen and also responsible for the cross-sector Procurement team in the Asia Pacific region.
Anu joined Johnson & Johnson from Hoffman La-Roche in 1989, as a Scientist in the Pharmaceuticals group. She has since held various roles with increasing responsibility in Quality, New Product & Customer Management, External Manufacturing, Planning, Distribution & Customer Service and Procurement, within the U.S., Europe and Puerto Rico.
Anu currently serves on the DCAT (The Drug, Chemical and Associated Technology Association) Board and Executive Committee as Segment Vice President for Pharmaceuticals.
Anu holds a Master’s degree in Biology from Delhi University, as well as an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Anu lives in Bedminster, NJ with her husband Vivek and son Eshar.