(Bloomberg) -- Johnson & Johnson expanded a leadership overhaul as the health-care giant prepares for its chief executive officer and top scientist to depart before spinning off its consumer business.

Mathai Mammen, head of research and development for the Janssen pharmaceutical unit, and Bill Hait, global head of external innovation, will be elevated to executive vice president roles. They will share the duties of retiring Chief Scientific Officer Paul Stoffels, though neither will take his title. 

Mammen will become the executive vice president of R&D for all pharmaceuticals. Hait will lead the company’s innovation, medical safety and global public health efforts.

Vanessa Broadhurst, group chair of global commercial strategy, will become executive vice president of global corporate affairs, replacing Michael Sneed, who will retire April 1.  Also being promoted is James Swanson, J&J’s chief information officer. All four will join the executive committee on Jan. 3.

The new year will mark a major milestone for J&J when its two most prominent executives -- Stoffels and Chief Executive Officer Alex Gorsky -- step down. The 135-year-old company, which is replacing Gorsky with longtime veteran Joaquin Duato, continues to prioritize internal talent to steer it into the future. 

The new executive committee members “are representative of the deep bench of talent we see at every level of our organization, as well as the tremendous opportunity ahead for Johnson & Johnson as we enter a new and exciting chapter,” Duato said in a statement.

After years of internal debate, the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company decided to separate its consumer division from the drug and devices business, a process it aims to complete within 18 to 24 months. The breakup mirrors moves by other conglomerates such as General Electric Co. that are looking to sharpen their focus and more quickly respond to economic trends. The Covid-19 pandemic expedited that process, according to J&J executives.

Stoffels, known for his infectious disease research and passion for public health, will retire from J&J at the end of the year. In his place, Mammen and Hait will steer the slimmed-down company’s pipeline to focus on lucrative pharmaceutical products, such as treatments for cancer and rare diseases. Together with Swanson, they’ll use data and technology to expedite the discovery and development process.

Read More: J&J Drug Business to Target Cancer, Eye Disease After Split 

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