About this episode

Alexis McGill Johnson discusses her journey as CEO of Planned Parenthood and the challenges faced in the political landscape surrounding abortion rights.

When Alexis McGill Johnson was asked in 2019 to become interim CEO of Planned Parenthood, she thought it would be a short assignment. “ I remember my famous last words to the board when I stepped in were, “‘I'll get you through 2020’,” she recalls. Almost immediately, she found herself in the unenviable position of steering a healthcare organization through a pandemic. She embraced the challenge and eventually raised her hand to stay on full-time. She officially landed the job in 2020 and serves as CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the healthcare arm, and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the advocacy organization. Since then, there have been significant challenges, most notably the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court in 2022, which reversed Roe V. Wade. In this episode, Alexis McGill Johnson shares what drives her dedication to Planned Parenthood’s mission and its almost daily battle on the front lines of the fight over legalized abortion. That includes, as this conversation was recorded, the challenge by Louisiana designed to halt sales of Mifepristone, an FDA-approved abortion drug. She also opens up about what the group’s “2040 plan” entails, and what she…

People in this episode

Host: Karen Finerman

Guest: Alexis McGill Johnson

Topics covered

• leadership
• healthcare
• abortion rights
• political advocacy
• women's health
• organizational challenges

Keywords

• Planned Parenthood
• CEO
• abortion
• leadership advice
• healthcare
• political organizer
• Dobbs decision
• Mifepristone
• 2040 plan

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Planned Parenthood, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Products: Mifepristone

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