the Wond'ry

Randy Bury is recently retired after a distinguished career with Johnson & Johnson. He started in manufacturing operations and progressed through roles with increased responsibility in planning, distribution and logistics. He later moved into a field-based role responsible for managing Johnson & Johnson’s corporate relationship with key hospital Integrated Delivery Networks(IDNs), Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) and hospital companies.

Randy was responsible for developing and implementing J&J’s strategy for self- distribution customers who wanted to eliminate their distributor partner from their supply chain model. He most recently served as Director, Customer Logistics Strategy, responsible for managing channel strategies with IDNs, distributors and J&J’s animal health business. In this role, he was responsible for developing new strategies to leverage distributor capabilities and improve efficiency across the health care industry.

During his thirty eight year career, Randy was respected as an innovative leader and mentor with strong strategic insights. He has extensive experience with introducing new products, programs and procedures to his health care customers. His unique background allows him to translate customer needs into solutions for his customers and J&J.

Randy has remained active in the healthcare community by mentoring at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and volunteering with the American Heart Association and JDRF. He is also involved as a board member for several non-profits and leads the local J&J community network volunteer committee.

Randy earned a BA in Political Science in 1978 from Kean University and his MBA in 1984 from Fairleigh Dickson University.

To meet with Randy, or any of our excellent mentors, please fill out this interest form.

Q. What excites you most about the Wond’ry?

A. The opportunity to work with and learn from young innovators who can help shape the future of the way we live.

Q. What do you feel are the most important skills you have to offer in your role as a mentor?

A. I have broad business experience and a strong understanding of how businesses operate and how they can thrive. Strong analytical skills and ability to provide strategic insights regarding product positioning, contract strategies and improving operating performance.

Q. What has been your proudest moment in your career?

A. I have been blessed with 38 years with a great company that allowed me grow and develop in the areas that interested me the most. While there are many accomplishments and awards I can be proud of I’m most proud of the relationships I built, the lives that were changed and impact that I had with my colleagues, my customers and our patients.

Q. What has surprised you most about your job?

A. The more that I learned I realized how much more there was to learn. It tough to be an expert in any given area so you have to build relationships with trusted partners who can help you succeed. No-one gets to do it alone and your ability to work independently as well as part of a team is critical to your success.

Q. If you could do everything over again, would you make the same career choices?

A. I would make the same career choices but I think I would try to enjoy the journey a little more the second time around. This is true from both a personal and professional perspective. Life goes by too fast and you need to enjoy the ride. Like Kenny Chesney’s song “Don’t Blink.”

Q. In your opinion, what is the most important quality for success?

A. The ability to persevere during good times and bad and to be a life long learner. Our world is constantly changing and you need to be open to learning new skills to succeed long term.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A. My dad was a teacher and educator his whole career so I wanted to teach or become a lawyer. I have two brothers who are attorneys but I quickly realized that was not a good path for me personally. Interestingly enough I had plenty of opportunities to teach/mentor others during my career and I also got significant exposure to contracting/legal issues in various roles I held with J&J.