In his current role, Mongon’s mission is to help people live healthier lives every day, as well as offer people trusted products that can help prevent health problems from developing down the road.
As part of that goal, he’s leading a team that’s bringing brands like naturally based health and wellness brand Zarbee’s Naturals® into the fold, while also continuing to innovate in Consumer Health’s already thriving portfolio of products, including everything from allergy medication Zyrtec® to Neutrogena®, the #1 recommended skincare brand by dermatologists.
As an exciting new year of innovation at the company kicks off, Mongon sat down with us to share more of his plans for the future of its Consumer Health business and how he hopes to help change the trajectory of your personal health for the better in the years to come.
Q:
What excites you about leading the Consumer Health business right now?
A:
We are really excited about serving consumers at this particular moment in time. Today, consumers want to take health into their own hands and either manage conditions they currently have or prevent them in the future.
There’s no better company than the biggest, most broadly based healthcare company in the world to provide them with the products and solutions they need for this. It’s a big challenge and a big opportunity, which is what Johnson & Johnson is all about—we go after big challenges and try to find the right solutions for people around the world.
Q:
What will Consumer Health’s areas of focus and growth be moving forward?
A:
We see a lot of unmet need in the areas of self-care and skin health. In the latter, more fundamental research on skin’s properties and how it regenerates is needed. And for self-care, there’s a need to use technology to create more advanced solutions, like the progress we’ve already made in developing effective treatments for allergy sufferers and smoking cessation tools that really allow people to take care of their health.
We plan to step up our presence even more in these areas through the development of science-based products and solutions endorsed by healthcare professionals.
In addition, baby care, feminine care, premium haircare, oral care and wound care will continue to be important to us, as we hold very strong leadership positions in each of these categories. We will use our proprietary science to evolve these segments and strengthen our brands to continue to deliver the products and solutions consumers expect from us.
It’s about us caring for people in everything they do. That’s what we do every day, with passion.
All of our products are steeped in the latest science and backed by experts, including those in our anti-aging space and retinol platform, such as our new skin health line, Dr.Ci:Labo.
Q:
Innovation is at the heart of transforming people’s health. How is Johnson & Johnson uniquely positioned to make an impact in this respect?
A:
Johnson & Johnson is all about innovation—and Consumer Health is no different. We invest heavily in bringing new technology to market.
For instance, our new Tylenol® Dissolve Packs are a transitional option for children who no longer want to take liquid medicine but aren’t ready for chewables or tablets. They’re a powder form of the medicine that works without water and dissolves on children’s tongues in seconds. It can start to reduce fever in as few as 15 minutes.
Smoking-related diseases remain the world’s most preventable causes of death, and our Nicorette® QuickMist®, available in over 40 countries, is another example of an innovative solution for this health problem—it starts to relieve cravings to smoke in just 30 seconds to help people on their journey to quit for good.
Technology is rapidly advancing across the area of self-care. Innovations like at-home diagnostics and solutions backed by science are meeting consumers where they are with convenient and accessible results. Johnson & Johnson is investing in many of these emerging territories to help address unmet needs and deliver on evolving consumer expectations.
Q:
So what do today’s consumers want and need?
A:
They want better health, whether it’s for themselves or their families. They want more efficacious products, with proven science supporting these products. That’s why they look for recommendations from professionals or friends: They want to be reassured of the health credentials of the products they use every day.
And that’s why all of our products are steeped in the latest science and backed by experts, including those in our anti-aging space and retinol platform, such as our new skin health line, Dr.Ci:Labo, which is available across Asia.
It was created by a Japanese dermatologist, featuring a unique ingredient that helps skin that’s been exposed to the stressors of modern living, such as exposure to pollution, UV rays and more—all of which affect skin’s brightness. Today, it’s the #1 dermo-cosmetic brand in Japan, and it’s quickly expanding across Asia.
Q:
How do you plan to continue Johnson & Johnson’s legacy of creating safe and scientifically backed products?
A:
Safety and efficacy are at the core of what we do. This means we ensure and oversee safety in research and development in our labs through to manufacturing—whether that’s a sunscreen or an over-the-counter medication—and even in how we interact with healthcare professionals and patients.
Transparency is equally important to us. So we make sure consumers have access to all the information they need about our products, whether it’s by disclosing the ingredients in our Johnson’s® baby products or using a mix of artificial intelligence (AI) and live consumer care representatives on our brand sites and social media to respond to user questions quickly and accurately.
Q:
If you could tell consumers just one thing about Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health, what would it be?
A:
That we are here for them and for the 1.2 billion consumers we touch through our brands around the world—and have been, for more than 130 years—so they can live every day in a healthy way.
