Speaker

Stephen Rivera, CPA

Stephen D. Rivera is currently the Vice President of the Global Technical Accounting Advisory Services & Policy group. Rivera joined Johnson & Johnson in April 2005.

 

His responsibilities include ensuring worldwide accounting compliance of business transactions that J&J enters into in the areas of R&D collaborations, business combinations and similar types of investments. He works extensively with the Corporate and Affiliate Groups that are involved in these transactions. His work also includes providing guidance in technical accounting areas, accounting policy and interfacing with our external accountants on the accounting of business transactions that cross over all the three major business segments at J&J – Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices and Consumers segments. He has leadership responsibility for Johnson & Johnson accounting policy development and implementation, and for advising our global finance teams on technical accounting and reporting matters. Rivera also serves as the chair and lead representative on several external industry organizations that engage with accounting standard setters and regulatory agencies to help shape accounting rules and new public company reporting requirements. Rivera and his team provides accounting advise and support for our significant business transactions across the enterprise to ensure that they are in compliance with our accounting policies.

 

Prior to his current function, Rivera worked in the following organizations. In 1984, Rivera began his career in public accounting with Coopers & Lybrand.In 1990, he joined General Public Utilities as manager of their accounting research department. In 1993, Rivera was offered an opportunity to join AT&T, which in 1994 spun off Lucent, where he was the Senior Manager of Financial Reporting overseeing and coordinating all the quarterly and year-end SEC filings, earnings releases and Annual Reports.

 

In 2000, Rivera joined Aventis Pharmaceuticals as the Finance Director involved in various aspects of managing and directing all US GAAP reporting and technical financial accounting issues which include developing new accounting policies and procedures for the company. In 2004, he joined Dendrite International as the Assistant Corporate Controller, overseeing the operations of the accounting and reporting groups, as well as managing all technical accounting matters.

 

Throughout his career in private industry, Rivera has always had a significant role interfacing with external accountants for all accounting and reporting matters.

 

Rivera received his Bachelors of Science in Accounting from St. John’s University. He is certified public accountant in New York and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is married with four children and resides in Belle Mead, New Jersey.