Elizabeth Forminard

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer Johnson & Johnson

Last Reviewed: October 3, 2026

Executive Summary

Elizabeth Forminard has been Chief Legal Officer of Johnson & Johnson since 2022, the chief legal adviser to its board and executive team and a member of its executive committee. She leads the company’s global legal strategy and oversees the office of the corporate secretary and the privacy organization. She joined J&J in 2006 and served as general counsel in turn for its medical devices and diagnostics, consumer and supply chain, and pharmaceuticals businesses, with a period running corporate governance in between. Before J&J she held legal roles in North America and Asia Pacific at other multinational companies. Having been general counsel of each of the company’s former business sectors, she brings an inside view of every part of J&J to its top legal job.

Career Highlights

• Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer of Johnson & Johnson since 2022.
• General Counsel, Pharmaceuticals, immediately before becoming CLO.
• Worldwide Vice President, Corporate Governance.
• General Counsel for Medical Devices and Diagnostics, and for the Consumer Group and Supply Chain.

Professional Journey

Forminard earned a bachelor’s degree at Cornell University and a law degree at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Before joining Johnson & Johnson she held legal roles of increasing responsibility in North America and Asia Pacific at other multinational organizations, building expertise in regulatory matters, according to her J&J biography; the companies are not named.

She joined J&J in 2006. Over the following years she served as general counsel of the Medical Devices & Diagnostics group, general counsel of the Consumer Group and Supply Chain, and worldwide vice president of corporate governance, and immediately before her current role she was general counsel of J&J’s pharmaceuticals business.

In 2022 she was appointed executive vice president, chief legal officer and a member of the executive committee. She advises the board and executive team, leads the company’s global legal strategy and oversees the Office of the Corporate Secretary and the privacy organization. J&J says she advocates for innovation through legal channels and mentors emerging talent inside and outside the legal profession.

She is the executive sponsor of the company’s LGBTQ+ employee business resource group. J&J operates two businesses, Innovative Medicine and MedTech, and its Innovative Medicine business alone exceeds $60 billion in annual revenue, according to the company. Her legal career now spans more than 25 years, nearly 20 of them at J&J.

As chief legal officer she oversees the Office of the Corporate Secretary, whose corporate secretary signs J&J’s SEC filings. The 2026 proxy describes the board she advises as led by a combined chairman and chief executive, Joaquin Duato, alongside a lead independent director, Marillyn Hewson.

Education

Cornell University

Bachelor of Arts

University of Pennsylvania Law School

Juris Doctor