Catalent in Investor’s Business Daily
This Tattooed, Cowboy-Boot-Wearing Top CEO Refuses To Go Clean Cut
John Chiminski knows he doesn’t fit the traditional image of a corporate bigwig. And the Catalent CEO is not about to change.
As chairman and chief executive of Catalent (CTLT), a Somerset, N.J.-based drugmaker and global provider of gene therapies, Chiminski radiates authenticity. He sets high standards for his team. But he’s also approachable and relatable to the company’s nearly 18,000 employees.
With his longish hair, beard and cowboy boots, the 58-year-old comes across as a friendly colleague rather than an intimidating chieftain. He even sports a tattoo on his forearm that reads “We The People.”
“If I’m sleeveless, people see that and think, ‘Wow, this is a company where I can be myself,’ ” said Chiminski, who became Catalent’s CEO in March 2009. He took over just one week after the stock market hit bottom during the Great Recession.