Former CCO of Johnson and Johnson joins Page Center advisory board

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.– Michael Sneed, who in 2022 retired as executive vice president of global corporate affairs and chief communication officer of Johnson & Johnson, recently joined the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication’s advisory board.

Sneed’s experience leading global marketing, communication and philanthropy efforts at J&J will be instrumental in helping promote integrity in public communication at the Page Center, a research center in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. Advisory board members play a key role in identifying ways the center can support scholarly research that solves current industry challenges.

Visionary leadership and a commitment to values powered Sneed’s nearly four-decade career. He said his leadership style upheld the role of integrity by communicating to every level of employee that actions affect reputation.

“I fully believe you're only as good as your reputation,” Sneed said. “Your reputation is the residue of actions that you take … for better or worse.”

It’s a principle shared by Arthur W. Page himself, and Sneed says it’s as important ever. That is because things have changed drastically since he joined J&J in 1983. Trust in corporations has dwindled and the public has become skeptical of most public communications — not just corporate, said Sneed.

“As a society, we moved from a place where people assumed organizations and individuals had integrity. Now, they assume they don't,” Sneed said. “It's a very different equation, certainly than when I started, and I think the role of integrity is crucial.”

That’s why, he said, organizations like the Page Center are essential.

“The fact that we have a place like the Page Center, a place for people to go to for a more scholarly approach to communication, I think it’s incredibly important.” he said. ‘All organizations are trying to find a way to make sure they remain relevant, increase their profiles, but also be a resource so that they can be looked upon favorably.”

He added, “Regardless of your political affiliation or beliefs, it's about trying to find the truth … and that's what the mission is all about.”

Sneed is vice chair of the board of trustees at the Thomas Jefferson Health System. He is a member of the board of directors of Wayfair Inc. and Kenvue Inc. He also serves on the board of trustees at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and WHYY Public Media.

J&J and the Page Center have a long history. The late Larry Foster, distinguished Penn State alumnus and the center’s founder, worked for the company for 33 years and led communications through the 1980s. In 2004, J&J was one of three companies that provided support for the endowment that started the Page Center. And, thanks to Sneed and other J&J leaders, the company has been the leading corporate sponsor of the Arthur W. Page Center Awards, an annual event that honors integrity at the highest levels of public communication, since 2017.

“We are grateful for the leadership and support Michael has given us over the years,” said Denise Bortree, Page Center director. “Michael’s addition to our board is further evidence that the work we’re doing is important and relevant. We are so happy to have him join us.”

The center’s advisory board consists of 18 members that represent decades of leadership in education, business, journalism, non-profit and public relations. Throughout the year, advisory board members meet to offer insights and guidance that help the Center advance ethics and responsibility in public communication.

Since its 2004 founding, the Page Center has become an international leader in research on ethics and integrity in public communication. Over the past 20 years, the center has funded nearly 300 scholars and awarded more than $1 million in research funding. Other initiatives include the annual awards event, ethics education resources and collaborative research opportunities.