At the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, where two of Johnson & Johnson’s manufacturing facilities were recognized as part of WEF’s Global Lighthouse Network, Kathy Wengel, J&J’s EVP & Chief Supply Chain Officer and an AWESOME Advisor, accepted the award for her company. She also participated in a panel discussion sponsored by J & J focusing on women’s leadership.
The Global Lighthouse Network recognizes advanced manufacturers that are showing leadership in applying the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to drive operational and environmental impact.
In a LinkedIn post, Kathy explains, “Lighthouses apply 4IR technologies, such as artificial intelligence, 3D-printing and big data analytics, in order to maximize efficiency and competitiveness at scale, transform business models and drive economic growth. They do this while augmenting the workforce, protecting the environment and contributing to a learning journey for all-sized manufacturers across all geographies and industries. “
She also writes, “I’m especially proud that we now have a ‘lighthouse’ in each region – the Americas, Europe and Asia.” The two J & J factories named recently are Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthes (Suzhou, China): Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Jacksonville, USA). J&J’s Cork, Ireland, facility was named in 2018.
According to Kathy, who participated in several WEF meetings discussing their Advanced Manufacturing & Production workstream, “Sharing key learnings and best practices from our sites is part of our commitment to the world community.”
In the Women Leaders Roundtable sponsored by J&J, Kathy and other panelists talked about what it will take to achieve gender equality. A brief video captures some of their key comments.
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. To support its mission, the Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.