Weldon to leave J&J helm after turbulent tenure William Weldon will retire this year as chief executive of Johnson & Johnson, marking an end to a tenure that has been marred by an embarrassing string of product recalls. J&J said the decision to replace Mr Weldon was part of a multi-year succession planning process. The selection was widely considered a two-person race since December 2010, when Mr Gorsky and Sheri McCoy, head of pharmaceuticals, were named to serve alongside Mr Weldon in an expanded chairman's office. The last several years have been especially challenging because of recalls and lawsuits that have tarnished the company's reputation. Lawsuits related to its marketing of an anti-psychotic drug and faulty hip replacement devices continue to weigh on its results. Mr Weldon has been criticised for being overly aggressive in cutting costs and for a decentralised approach to management. 2004, he joined Novartis as chief operating officer, where he worked for four years before returning to J&J. Analysts at Barclays Capital said Mr Gorsky's background could signal that J&J will put more emphasis on medical devices and diagnostics. J&J said Ms McCoy will report to Mr Gorsky and be responsible for pharmaceuticals, consumer groups and information technology and that Mr Weldon will remain as chairman of the board. In an interview with the Financial Times last summer, Mr Weldon signalled that he was nearly ready to retire but still had some unfinished business. "There are certain things that I want to make sure we're doing and getting done that I wouldn't want to burden somebody with," he said. But at the right time, I'll be ready to move on and someone else will be ready to move up. J&J shares rose 0.11 per cent to $65.15 in after-hours trading.