We interviewed Gary M. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Global Health & President of the BD Foundation (Becton, Dickinson and Company). As the leader of BD’s global health strategy, which has had a significant beneficial impact globally, Gary told us about key turning points in his career and how he was able to bring about transformational change on a global scale. Gary described his views on the role of business in society, how he defines corporate social innovation (CSI) and its four key methods, and provided recommendations for how it can be applied to other companies and industries. Finally, he provided invaluable advice for recent graduates who want to pursue a career that addresses society’s greatest challenges.

Executive's Bio

Gary Cohen is Executive Vice President, Global Health and President of the BD Foundation at BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co), a global medical technology company. He is also a board director of UNICEF USA and the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, board co-chair of GBCHealth, and board chair and founder of Together for Girls, a global partnership of national governments, UN agencies and private sector organizations dedicated to stopping violence against children, particularly sexual violence against girls. He previously served on the UN Commission on Life Saving Commodities for Women and Children and as board director and chair of the CDC Foundation, and presently serves as chair of the CDC/Corporate Roundtable on Global Health Threats. Gary holds B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from Rutgers University. In 2016, he was named a Rutgers 250 Fellow. In 2018, he founded the Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation at Rutgers Business School.