Leading with Heart: Johnson & Johnson’s Celine Martin On The Power of Authentic Women’s Leadership

An Interview With Pirie Jones Grossman

Be fully present — Listen actively and know when to intervene. Ask the right questions to shift the dialogue. Also, be mindful of your body language and the so called ‘non-verbal’s that can slip out like crossing your arms or legs. Own your space, the tiny tweaks can lead to big changes.

In today’s dynamic world, the concept of leadership is continuously evolving. While traditional leadership models have often been male-dominated, there is a growing recognition of the unique strengths and perspectives that women bring to these roles. This series aims to explore how women can become more effective leaders by authentically embracing their femininity and innate strengths, rather than conforming to traditional male leadership styles. In this series, we are talking to successful women leaders, coaches, authors, and experts who can provide insights and personal stories on how embracing their inherent feminine qualities has enhanced their leadership abilities. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Celine Martin.

Celine Martin is Company Group Chairman, Cardiovascular & Specialty Solutions (CSS) Group, a collection of Johnson & Johnson high-growth global MedTech businesses. This includes Biosense Webster, Cerenovus, and Mentor, which collectively generate more than $5 billion in annual sales and employ more than 14,000 purpose-driven, high-performing individuals. These businesses work at the intersection of biology and technology to help more than 1.5 million patients each year in the areas of electrophysiology, neurovascular, breast reconstruction and aesthetics.

Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

My journey started with a dream of becoming a physician. When I was younger, my parents were incredibly supportive and arranged for me to shadow a few doctors at a local hospital in France, where I grew up. This experience solidified my passion for healthcare, but I realized I wanted to make an impact beyond just one hospital. Years later, while pursuing my MBA in North Carolina, I was recruited by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to be a sales representative for medical devices.

From there, my career path unfolded, and the rest, I like to say, is history. 30-years later, and I’m still at J&J, now leading collection of J&J’s high-growth MedTech businesses.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

A lot can happen in the three decades! I’ll tell you one story: I grew up in France and lived there for most of the early years of my career, but always had a fondness for the United States. My childhood home was in Normandy, so I was always hearing about D-Day and how Americans helped during World War II.

On September 11, 2001, I happened to be visiting the states and was grounded in California for two weeks following the aftermath. During this time, I witnessed firsthand how American citizens dealt with the horrible tragedies of that day — not by pulling apart, but by coming together and supporting one another. Seeing this all happen in real-time affected me in a way I wasn’t expecting, and it influenced my decision to finally move to America, a place I now proudly call home.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

What truly sets us apart in the medical technology industry is a mix of our unwavering dedication to innovation and patients. We invest billions of dollars to push boundaries and redefine patient care.

The first thing that comes to mind is our work in cardiovascular care, particularly with atrial fibrillation. AFib is a huge burden for patients, affecting 50 million people worldwide. If you know anyone with AFib, you know how significantly it can impact their quality of life. Beyond that, it significantly increases their risk of stroke and death when left untreated. I’m extremely proud that we’ve pioneered treatments that can free patients from relying on medications and get them back to living their lives. I know innovation is considered a buzzword by many, but if any company embodies that word, it’s J&J.

You are a successful business leader. Which three-character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

The early days of my career required me to be courageous — working with customers, I was frequently the only woman in the room and the only person without a clinical background. If I wanted to make headway in my career at all, I could not be afraid, and that resolve carried me to where I am today. I also think I would never have made it to where I am today if I wasn’t open to new experiences. I’ve moved, changed focus areas, and changed how I do my job more times than I can count. You need to get out of your comfort zone if you want to grow.

Lastly, I would say accountability. As a leader you need to take ownership of your mistakes as well as your victories — it’s the only way to build trust and also deepen your own learning. Making myself available to my team has been a critical element of my management style.

Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader? I’m curious to understand how these challenges have shaped your leadership.

Last year, we made the decision to acquire Laminar, a company focused on creating devices to aid in left atrial appendage (LAA) closure. At the time, we had been in the process of developing our own LAA closure device, but Laminar’s technology was so innovative that we had to make the difficult decision to leave behind the work we’d done internally and instead focus on this external innovation that would be truly different from anything else out there.

It’s not easy telling a team of dedicated individuals — and some of the smartest people I’ve come to work with — that the technology they have been working on was being sidelined. In this moment, I had to put my own emotions aside and had to do what was best for the business and for our customers and patients.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. =

In your journey as a leader, how have you balanced demonstrating resilience, often seen as a masculine trait, with showing vulnerability, which is equally powerful, but typically feminine? Can you give an example where this balance created a meaningful difference?

I think for any leader to be successful and authentic, they have to have a balance of traits. I would describe my tone in the workplace, overall, as ‘resolved.’ My role is to keep our teams focused on shared priorities while also predicting and clearing obstacles from their way. This line of work can be very demanding, so we need to remain steady and focused on doing things the right way.

That said, being human and showing empathy is also equally important in a position like mine. I’m not afraid of those qualities, even if they may be considered more feminine, and I think my team appreciates that about me. Ultimately, it’s about creating a workplace where people share a common goal and support one another in getting there.

As a woman in leadership, how have you navigated and challenged gender stereotypes, especially in situations where traditional male-dominated approaches are the norm? What strategies have you employed to remain authentic to your style?

Working in a male-dominated industry, I have definitely felt the weight of being a woman, especially as I was beginning my career with limited background and expertise to really back-up why I had a seat at the table. I remember when I was starting a new job early in my career, it was an intimidating situation to be in. But I’ve come to think of myself as a naturally tough and adaptable person, and that’s served me well in every workplace I’ve been in so far, no matter how difficult.

How do you utilize emotional intelligence and active listening to create an inclusive environment in your team or organization? Could you share a specific instance where these qualities particularly enhanced team dynamics or performance?”

In my first job as a medical device salesperson, the field was entirely new to me. My role involved shadowing physicians during surgeries and helping where I could. I was fortunate to have an amazing mentor, a surgeon, who taught me the importance of emotional intelligence. He emphasized listening to and understanding the doctors’ needs and concerns, which made me realize the critical impact we had on patients’ lives. This lesson has stayed with me, all these years later.

As a leader, I prioritize active listening and emotional intelligence by always asking questions and creating an empowering environment where colleagues can grow and drive change.

What role has mentorship played in developing your authentic leadership style, and how do you communicate authentically to inspire and empower both your mentors and mentees?

Mentorship has been crucial in shaping my leadership style. I’ve been lucky enough to have more than one mentor throughout my career.

When joining the management team at J&J, I had another mentor who has had a profound impact on my life. I was the youngest, a non-native English speaker, new to the team — but my boss encouraged me to speak up at our first board meeting, saying, “You’re at the big table now, and I need to hear your voice.” That moment gave me the confidence to assert myself and contribute meaningfully.

Both mentors pushed me out of my comfort zone, challenged me, and took chances on me, which fueled my passion for mentoring the next generation of leaders.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways Leading Authentically As A Woman Will Affect Your Leadership”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.

1. Stay true to your authentic self — Don’t try to be someone else. Your unique experiences and insights are valuable. There’s a reason you got the job or were invited to a meeting; people want to hear your perspective.
2. Always be prepared — Be in command of the subject. Anchor your story with facts and data. For instance, start with a strong point and back it up with evidence to make your case compelling.
3. Eliminate “comfort words” — Avoid phrases like “I might be off base” or “Maybe I’m wrong.” These words can diminish your impact. Instead, speak confidently and own your expertise.
4. Don’t put artificial limitations on yourself — Ignore the voices that say you don’t belong. Let go of those mental barriers and embrace the confidence that got you here.
5. Be fully present — Listen actively and know when to intervene. Ask the right questions to shift the dialogue. Also, be mindful of your body language and the so called ‘non-verbal’s that can slip out like crossing your arms or legs. Own your space, the tiny tweaks can lead to big changes.

Are there potential pitfalls or challenges associated with being an empathetic leader? How can these be addressed?

I mentioned this earlier, but I’m not afraid of being an empathetic leader, and you shouldn’t be either. I would argue, being empathic is actually a real differentiator and will lead you to greater success in building a strong team. Of course, there’s a balance to keep in mind. But, if you can find that sweet spot of cultivating a team that works hard and supports one another, the rest will fall into place. At J&J, we call this our “one team, one win” culture.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I work in healthcare, which already benefits a great number of people, but our job in the industry is not done. Every day, someone will suffer because of a medication or a device that hasn’t been brought to market or isn’t widely available. This problem is endemic in our industry: approval cycles are slow and adoption curves can be even slower, so even if you’ve thought up a perfect solution, it might be a decade before many people benefit from it.

I challenge my peers in the industry to do better. We can eliminate inefficiencies and be faster to innovate without sacrificing safety, so that we leave no patient behind.

How can our readers further follow you online?

Despite the long workdays and balancing mom duties, I try to be as active as possible on my LinkedIn. Hope you follow along there!

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About The Interviewer: Pirie is a TedX speaker, author and a Life Empowerment Coach. She is a co-host of Own your Throne podcast, inspiring women in the 2nd chapter of their lives. With over 20 years in front of the camera, Pirie Grossman understands the power of storytelling. After success in commercials and acting. She spent 10 years reporting for E! Entertainment Television, Entertainment Tonight, also hosted ABC’s “Every Woman”. Her work off-camera capitalizes on her strength, producing, bringing people together for unique experiences. She produced a Children’s Day of Compassion during the Dalai Lama’s visit here in 2005. 10,000 children attended, sharing ideas about compassion with His Holiness. From 2006–2009, Pirie Co-chaired the Special Olympics World Winter Games, in Idaho, welcoming 3,000 athletes from over 150 countries. She founded Destiny Productions to create Wellness Festivals and is an Advisory Board member of the Sun Valley Wellness Board.In February 2017, Pirie produced, “Love is Louder”, a Brain Health Summit, bringing in Kevin Hines, noted suicide survivor to Sun Valley who spoke to school kids about suicide. Sun Valley is in the top 5% highest suicide rate per capita in the Northwest, prompting a community initiative with St. Luke’s and other stake holders, to begin healing. She lives in Sun Valley with her two children, serves on the Board of Community School. She has her Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica and is an Executive Life Empowerment Coach, where she helps people meet their dreams and goals! The difference between a dream and a goal is that a goal is a dream with a date on it!