UPDATED: Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthes President & CEO Michel Orsinger Arrested At Church
UPDATED: March 17, 2016
Proving that Johnson & Johnson & subsidiaries keep encouraging, rewarding and replicating unethical and illegal behavior while placing blame and not taking accountability unless forced accountable:
J&J Ordered to Pay $502 Million Over Pinnacle Hip Failures
Inconsistent & contradictory language to action from JNJ spokeswoman Mindy Tinsley who said the company “acted appropriately” BUT PAID $502 million over metal on metal hip implant failures. The Sociopathic Business Model™.
At least, Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthes patient victims get to see a little green this St. Patrick’s Day…finally!
Updated: Below original Story: June 2, 2015 Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthes FDA Recall for Class II LCS Knee Implants
Well if my LinkedIn page is down again on Monday….Really what kind of corporate attorney hides?
or maybe….
Who knows?
But I do know I’d expect nothing less from a company that’s ethically challenged like Johnson & Johnson .
UPDATED: May 8, 2015
UPDATED: May 7, 2015
May 2, 2015
Case Study:
Change of names to distance from crimes: #Media
Michel Orsinger per his LinkedIn page President & CEO of Synthes
then became Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes
now
Worldwide Chairman, Global Orthopaedics Group Johnson & Johnson
(note the mired in billion dollar fines of DePuy Synthes is distanced in SEO with the new company name)
Fact based evidence over time is the best indicator of the future. Several weeks ago Johnson & Johnson Ethicon Acclarent former executives were arrested and indicted on 18 counts of fraud and now the company’s making headlines with another arrest. Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes President & CEO Michel Orsinger, 57, tackled a family member outside of church where Radnor police arrested and charged him with simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment.
Leadership team: from left: I.V. Hall, WW President, Trauma; Michel Orsinger, WW Chairman, DePuy Synthes Companies; Ken Carpenter, V.P. of U.S. Sales, North Region; Dave Urbahns, V.P. WW Marketing Trauma
This type of behavior speaks to leadership pattern at Johnson & Johnson where unethical and or illegal behavior is not only encouraged, it’s replicated and rewarded. Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthes experienced some forced accountability from the DOJ last year for the company’s faulty ASR and Pinnacle hips which has cost the company more than $2.5 billion so far.
According to the report, a family member saw Orsinger sending text messages while seated in the church and asked to speak with him outside. She allegedly took the phone from Orsinger’s hands and ran off. When he caught up to her, police say Orsinger pulled her hair, then tackled her after she broke free.
Witnesses told police that Orsinger twisted the victim’s arm while trying to get the phone back and had to be pulled away. He has been released on $30,000 bail. James Boyle Radnor Patch
Even God doesn’t like JNJ
Texting? In church? Wow unless he was giving the approval to pay hundreds of millions to Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthes hip victims I can’t imagine what would be so important. If Johnson & Johnson is going to continue to encourage, replicate and rewarded unethical and or illegal behavior they may want to think about adding a bail bondsman division.
Thank you to the Killing My Career reader for passing along the story; and, message boards like Medtech[y] and Cafepharma that afford employees the opportunity to expose negative truths the company would rather remain hidden-the worst nightmare to a corrupt company and best friend to frustrated employees.
UPDATED: May 7, 2015
Michel Orsinger has informed me of his intention to pursue other opportunities outside Johnson & Johnson and is stepping down from his role as Worldwide Chairman, Global Orthopaedics, as of today. He will support Gary over the coming months as the newly combined Medical Devices group transitions. “I am proud of the people of DePuy Synthes and the successful orthopaedics business created through the integration and transformation,” Michel said.
From Alex Gorsky, May 6, 2015
Mr. Orsinger please keep the door open as we’d like you to take Gary Pruden and Alex Gorsky with you on your way out.
UPDATED: April 8,2015
Patterns In Fraud: Unethical companies change names to distance from crimes
As highlighted and predicted above companies often change names in order to distance from unethical and or illegal behavior which is the opposite of what an ethical company does. Building a product that’s identifiable in a market is a goal of any company and when an established company changes names under the #PRSpin of reorganization it’s #PRSpunUnSpun: Johnson & Johnson’s attempt to distance from unethical and or illegal behavior where their own negative truth is hurting their image and in turn possibly profits.
ORSINGER OUT AT DEPUY SYNTHES. J&J REORGANIZES DEVICE BUSINESS
#PRSpin: Michel Orsinger is out as head of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) DePuy Synthes orthopedics business following a reorganization of J&J’s medical device businesses.
#PRSpinUnSpun: The company is creating a single Medical Devices Group by integrating its surgery and orthopedics business under the leadership (?) of Gary Pruden, head of the surgery business. Pruden will become worldwide chairman, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices. Orsinger told the company of his intention to pursue other opportunities outside J&J. The reason Johnson & Johnson has decided to integrate under the new name Medical Devices is that all the unethical and illegal behavior from Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon’s Gynecare, Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon’s Acclarent and Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes falls off in SEO.
#HeyMrDOJ
The companies crimes no longer follow them which prevents patients and consumers from knowing all the facts to make the best educated decisions which is unethical and the Department of Justice should make it illegal if a company was forced to be accountable through million or billion dollar fines, as Johnson & Johnson clearly has multiple times. No company name change for at least five years (barring any additional fines) which would mean: Johnson & Johnson could not ever change any subsidiary name to distance from crimes.
Orsinger’s job loss is not related to reorganization because that’s inconsistent & contradictory to the 2011 merger and more likely to do with his recent arrest that he decided to move on at this time.
#MEDIA Google’s EU does not apply in the U.S. and unethical companies engaging in illegal activity should not be allowed to distance from their crimes with a simple name change-they do not have the right to be forgotten. Please be sure and add to the new Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices all former companies that apply: ex: formerly DePuy Synthes, Ethicon, Gynecare, Acclarent as a means to help educate the patients, consumers, employees and taxpayers alike.
Does Johnson & Johnson like to play victim when it comes to acquisitions?
Again according to Michel Orsinger’s LinkedIn page he’s been with Synthes since July 2004 and was retained (or his actions were encouraged, replicated and rewarded) during the largest Johnson & Johnson buyout when their DePuy subsidiary purchased Synthes for a record $21.3 billion in 2011. Ironically also Johnson & Johnson’s largest DOJ fines over $2.5 billion were from the subsidiary, DePuy Synthes. For those unfamiliar with this blinding billion dollar fairy tale of fraud:
Four former executives of medical device manufacturer Synthes, Inc., who went to federal prison for their role in an illegal clinical trial of bone cement, are out of prison now but probably won’t be working in health care anytime soon.
Michael Huggins, Thomas Higgins, Richard Bohner and John Walsh were officially excluded from federal health-care programs on Tuesday, meaning no company employing them will be eligible to receive reimbursement for services or drugs through programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Given the private sector’s dependence on government money, companies rarely hire people on the excluded list. Philly
Phew! Good thing all the fraud fell off when Johnson & Johnson bought the company. It’s tough to tell from Michel Orsinger’s LinkedIn page just exactly what he did (that’s inconsistent & contradictory) for Synthes during the height of the company’s pre-purchase fraud and perhaps that’s by design.
Synthes CEO gets $51.9 million golden parachute and lucrative new job with J&J
Orsinger is getting $51.9 million for leaving the old company and a multimillion dollar pay package from the new company. His new base salary of $700,000 will be a cut in pay from his old firm, but he will have some lucrative bonus opportunities. If he can make do clipping coupons for three years, he will get a stock package worth $17.2 million.
It certainly wouldn’t look very good if this very public story of Synthes killing people showed that Johnson & Johnson knowingly and willfully decided to retain an executive possibly linked to previous crime. That might be considered encouraging, replicating and rewarding unethical and or illegal behavior on Johnson & Johnson’s part.
So it shouldn’t be too shocking to Johnson & Johnson that they’re in the position (and by that I mean bent over by the DOJ with no lube) they’re in now regarding DePuy Synthes because they’ve been complicit which appears to be a pattern in their own company that they encourage, replicate and reward regarding among other things, acquisitions.
Updated: June 2, 2015 Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthes FDA Recall for Class II LCS Knee Implants
Maybe journalist
Please take the anonymous #KnowYourValue survey
Lana Keeton
Who are these people? Tackle your family member outside of church. Over your phone? What could be on that phone? The more I research J&J it stands for absolutely nothing. A corporation with a nice reputation has gone completely down the tubes from unethical to completely corrupt. It is a bain on civilized society.
Melayna Lokosky
I know, right? Rinse & repeat and we’re all now conditioned to think this is normal or acceptable from the likes of Johnson & Johnson. I’d be curious to hear from reps/management (anonymously) that worked with Orsinger to see of any of these alleged church tactics of a manipulating the rights of others, verbal outbursts, creating hopelessness, insulting and demeaning, rarely challenged, bullying sound familiar as it relates to possible workplace abuse.
Anonymous
I guess he must be hiding something…may be he was texting soneone who he didnt want his family to know!
Melayna Lokosky
The Sociopathic Business Model™ strongly suggests that all accomplices eventually become victims. It’s often been stated on this site that ethics or lack of aren’t 9-5 and if Orsinger’s alleged action outside of church against someone known to him (where it’s likely the charges will be dropped which is not the same as innocent of charges) are any indication of his decision making and leadership skills Johnson & Johnson will send him to sensitivity training and bring him back where this type of behavior is encouraged, replicated and rewarded.
Many familiar with Johnson & Johnson Ethicon’s Acclarent can recall a similar story of an Area Director who faced similar charges where Johnson & Johnson knowingly and willfully later reportedly named that same Area Director The Area Director of the Year. This is the same company that knowingly and willfully hired a known pedophile into the sales team and later promoted him to management.
Yes, Johnson & Johnson has a pathological documented history of encouraging, replicating and rewarding unethical and or illegal behavior especially towards women; and, it is curious why someone would not recognzie the rights of others, text in church, and allegedly assault a female family member-hope whatever was so important was worth it!
Lawrence
Michel Orsinger’s resignation from J&J was official yesterday. The entire J&J Orthopedics/DePuy Synthes organization will now be reporting into Gary Pruden, another infamous personality chronicled on this site!
Melayna Lokosky
Wow! Thank you and didn’t Bridget Ross from Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen then Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon Gynecare and then Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon’s Acclarent recently decide to move over to Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes?
And good job and thank you to the person who got the story to the site and to everyone who kept this story circulating-it certainly got the attention of JNJ Corporate. I do believe that exposing the negative truth others would rather remain hidden can force accountability. Thank you for reading and updating.
anonymous
I have worked closely with upper management in 2 large medical device companies and through those positions had a window into the lives of executives at a few others. Unfortunately, I rarely experienced a SENIOR executive at the large companies who wasn’t an arrogant, bullying, womanizing, jerk inside or outside of work. There were a couple of exceptions; literally a couple. The pattern of unethical corporate and personal behavior reported above is repeated daily throughout the pharmaceutical and device industry.
Melayna Lokosky
Great insight! Sexism (womanizing), racism, retaliation if ignored, are the triggers to much larger unethical and illegal actions within a company. When one chooses to become a CEO or are in an executive position their life is no longer 100% their own as their actions in and out of work reflect upon the company where millions if not billions are on the line for investors (startup) or shareholders (publically traded). They are in fact in a leadership role.
A former CEO at one company allegedly left his first wife for his secretary making her his second wife who reportedly hand-picked his future secretary who was a lovely talented lady however (and I will be much more respectful about how it was told me and repeatedly told me & others by multiple sources within the company) the new secretary was hired because the new wife deemed her less attractive and not a threat; and, the new wife’s father (unrelated to the business) was also hired on in a medical device startup.
This story was retold in the company by women with disdain and disgust and by men with admiration and respect; and a theme that carried over into management styles where at one time there were eight female reps to 72 male reps with corresponding gender management numbers. A company where hiring and promoting wasn’t usually done on the merits of one’s work but always with a personal agenda; and, an example is when a manager told me he’d like to fire me because his gardener’s son was graduating and needed a job. This was not an entry level position and never mind the fact I loved my job and was doing well. Unethical and or illegal behavior starts at the top of an organization where it’s encouraged, replicated and rewarded throughout the company.
Mr. Orsinger’s alleged actions and CEO from one of my previous companies’ alleged actions all speak to the much bigger problem of sexism in the industry. The way women in the industry are treated and how they’re thought of as exchangeable commodities without recognizing their rights is entrenched in a corrupt business model. The number of times I’ve been in a meeting and heard managers discussing women (either in the company) or they were considering hiring where the word womb was mentioned was deplorable. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment-truly appreciated-Melayna
Ghosts of National Sales Meetings Past is a series I’m sure many of you can identify with over the years. Feel free to anonymously share your stories.
Chris Tecza
Why are you anonymous? Have some balls.
Melayna Lokosky
If they’re still employed by Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthes or still work in the industry the fear of retaliation is very real and not unfounded.
Carrie
I am currently employed with Synthes in Elmira, NY, now Depuy Synthes. I am not upper management, and I am a woman. We are treated like we worthless and replaceable. Women are treated even worse. Unless you’re married to, related to or sleeping with the right person. I’ve never worked for a company with such a large amount of ignorant and incompetent management personnel in my life. Since J&J took over, it’s only gotten worse. Our pay is low, insurance is worthless. We work long hours, 6-7 days a week. They pile on more and more work with no additional help. We are losing people left and right. These are people that have been there for many years. I see no future with Depuy Synthes, or J&J for that matter.
Melayna Lokosky
I’ve found your experience at Johnson & Johnson very similar to mine. The unethical and illegal behavior started with Acclarent and continued with Johnson & Johnson Ethicon’s blessings via well documented HR claims which found my manager worthy of “sensitivity training,” not once but twice while refusing to demote him but rather chose to eliminate me. That’s just another example of Johnson & Johnson’s inconsistent & contradictory language to action which protects (rewards) the workplace abuser at the expense of those who expose the negative truth the company would rather remain hidden.
I certainly understand why people don’t report the workplace abuse to HR, as the fear of retaliation is not an unfound fear but a reality and I am living proof. Make sure you document all unethical & illegal situations if you should ever need to contact an attorney in the future. If a company has nothing to hide they’ll have no problem with employees protecting themselves. Several reps have mentioned their workplace abuse when exiting the company either by choice or termination. Reps (I do not have knowledge of others within the organization) face the illegal use of PIP to eliminate those exposing the truth while placing blame on underperformance without executives and management taking accountability for unrealistic projections based on fantasy and not fact. If an employee is terminated unethically or illegally I’d always recommend hiring an attorney to help protect their rights including moving on free of retaliation.
Johnson & Johnson is well aware of the pathological unethical & illegal problems that plague their corrupt business model where that behavior is encouraged, replicated and rewarded. JNJ would rather put a Band-Aid on the flesh wound of their image to protect profits over patients, consumers, employees and taxpayers because actually fixing the problems would require corporate accountability and integrity-two things the DOJ has had to cite Johnson & Johnson along with billions in fines across several divisions over the last few years.
Thank you Carrie for taking the time to read and comment on your workplace abuse experience at Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Synthes. The more the come forward the more the company will be forced to be accountable for their unethical and illegal actions.
Anonymous
Overall its a very sad story, the former owner of Synthes has sold this diamant in the medical device industry to JnJ. Orsinger, who never has given any messurable value to Synthes in his position as CEO, was the negotiator for the deal and his benefit was the golden parachute of more than 50.000.000 Dollar.Hundreds of people have lost jobs, ethics are down and business is not within expectations. Well done! Take the money and run
Melayna Lokosky
Thank you for taking the time to comment and add more insight to this story. I recall with great interest in 2011 that several Synthes executives were jailed and via a little known exclusion from the OIG they lost CMS contracts for 5 years (rendering them likely burned from the industry).
How was Orsinger not part of that deal? JNJ has a pathological history of knowingly and willfully purchasing companies with questionable ethics (also see Acclarent) so there’s no sympathy for the Company but certainly for the many hard working individuals who experience job loss or workplace abuse because as you’ve said the “business is not within expectations” where JNJ places blame without taking any accountability.
Anonymous
Managers like Orsinger know how to act without taking risks. They act in secured aereas, in small circles of decision makers. Official statements, even in front of the employees, allways underline the correctness of the business, on the other hand Orsinger and friends define the goals. How the goals can be realized is not of interest, under pressure the second and third line is taking the risks, driven from the salary and bonus packages. Huggins, Higgins, Bohner and Walsh has done the dirty work for the sake of growing business. The decision for the business was made by Wyss, Orsinger et.al., the execution is on the next level. There are some other examples, Norian, ProDisc, Anspach Power Tools etc., non of these acquired businesses fulfiled the expectations. Once the predecessor of Orsinger, Roland Broennimann was in jail because he has made price agreements in the pharmaceutical industrie, bad luck 😉 All the same quality…
In many conversations I had with Orsinger, he never was given concret answers, never! He could talk hours without any content, just word bubbles…, you can not grab them, like wet soap. Good he lost control in privacy.
O.K., no further comments from my side. It makes no sence to talk about the past, hope sometimes a new type of managers will find the way into the top level of monster companies like JnJ. Good luck!
derek stocker
$50mill, phew. A few of the worst affected patients/victims or as J&J lawyers refer to us, statistics could have received a reasonable amount of compensation as victims of J&J’s DPS’ medical experiments carried out upon unsuspecting human Guinea Pigs?
Some have had around 5 hip revisions as the original experimental Cobalt/Chrome ally hip implants destroyed bone & tissue.
The first victim who successfully sued and was awarded $8,3mill. It took him 5 years of suffering to get his day in court. Sadly the chap died before seeing a cent.
Then, one one reads of these golden handshakes, paid to those who could not give a toss about those who have had lives destroyed and it makes me want to vomit.
Shame on them but then sociopaths do not have such emotions.
John
Head of Library Services Melissa Deblasio was aressted and convictited of DUI and 2 years later arrested for assault, great comany.
Melayna Lokosky
Yikes! With a company car, and they kept her? Encourage, replicate, and rewarded unethical & illegal behavior it’s the JNJ way from Alex Gorsky on down.