Johnson & Johnson CFO to be Honored with Haub Hall of Fame Award

Raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Joe Wolk ’88 P ’15 knew a lot about Johnson & Johnson long before he began working there. 

His father spent his career at Johnson & Johnson, first on the factory floor and then in accounting – the values of the company were practically part of his upbringing. Colleagues of his father were heard cheering on the sidelines of his basketball games, seen sitting in the pew beside him at church and keeping him entertained at company picnics. Wolk’s mother was a night nurse in the maternity ward at nearby St. Peter’s Hospital and healthcare was part of who he was. That same hard-working mentality and responsibility to neighbors and the community that his parents imparted on him, became part of his DNA.   

Wolk credits those values as being the foundation of his principles today — values that are heavily shared with Saint Joseph’s University, which played a key factor in his decision to complete an undergraduate degree at the Haub School of Business. This month, Wolk will be honored for his integrity and ingenuity when Saint Joseph’s University inducts him into the Haub School of Business Hall of Fame on April 21. 

“Every student at SJU has a double major,” Wolk observes. “First, whatever academic course they choose, then a second major in responsibility to others. That’s the wonderful part of Jesuit education.”  

When he joined Johnson & Johnson in 1998, Wolk realized he was continuing in a values-based institution. The company’s credo, written more than 75 years ago, still clearly defines its responsibilities to patients and consumers, doctors and nurses, mothers and fathers, employees and all stakeholders, to its communities and the world community. Becoming chief financial officer gave him an opportunity to make sure those values are at work every day around the world of Johnson & Johnson.   

“It’s an honor to help steward Johnson & Johnson’s financial health so we can continue to advance the health of people everywhere,” Wolk says. “That financial strength provides us the latitude to do things like invest above benchmark in innovation, ensure employees are fairly rewarded, and create solutions that make a positive impact on the lives of those who depend on us, around the world.”

A role model in the industry, Wolk leads Johnson & Johnson’s worldwide finance and global services organizations, which include roughly 9,000 colleagues. He has been with Johnson & Johnson for 24 years and assumed the role of executive vice president, chief financial officer in July 2018. As an executive leader of Johnson & Johnson, Wolk leads the development and execution of the business’ global long-term financial strategy. 

In addition to his role as CFO, Wolk serves as chair of the Investment Committee for Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, an “impact investment” vehicle that provides funding to entrepreneurs creating innovations that address the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges. He also serves as the Executive Sponsor of Johnson & Johnson’s Veterans Leadership Council, and a champion of the company’s Finance Leadership Development Program, a leadership training program for graduate students. 

"Joe’s expertise and values-based leadership expand far beyond finance,” says Johnson & Johnson's Chief Executive Officer Joaquin Duato. “He plays a critical role in the strategic vision of the organization, creating value for our shareholders and innovative solutions that impact the lives of people we serve around the world.”    

Wolk has long committed himself to giving back to Saint Joseph’s and its students. He is an active member of the University’s Board of Trustees and the Haub School Board of Visitors, and provides thought leadership to Haub’s accounting and business analytics and intelligence programs. 

Wolk consistently creates opportunities for Saint Joseph’s students, from inviting the Sutula Scholars for a corporate excursion to Johnson & Johnson headquarters in 2021 to helping launch the careers of several Hawks through the robust recruitment of Saint Joseph’s students into Johnson & Johnson’s management training program. 

“Across the country, Saint Joseph’s grads are known for their work ethic and strong values,” says Wolk. “We actively work to recruit them.” 

Wolk also helped make possible Johnson & Johnson ’s generous corporate philanthropy to the Haub School’s SDG Dashboard.

“He is an alumnus who we hope our students will emulate for his dedication to not only his career but his alma mater and our students,” says Haub School of Business Dean Joseph A. DiAngelo, Ed.D. ’70. “He’s humble and very dedicated to making the world a better place.”

Wolk and his wife Claudine, who graduated from Saint Joseph’s in 1989, have three children. Their son, Joe, graduated from Saint Joseph’s in 2015 and is currently engaged to his Hawk Mate, Colleen Cruice ’15.

Register to join the Haub Hall of Fame celebration honoring Joe Wolk on April 21.

Register to join “Inclusive Capitalism: Healthcare and its Impact on Society,” a panel discussion featuring Wolk and former Independence CEO Dan Hilferty, on April 6.