SC Johnson CEO Fisk Johnson Honored with UN Foundation Leadership Award

SC Johnson Chairman and CEO Dr. Fisk Johnson has been bestowed with a “We the Peoples” Global Leadership Award by the United Nations Foundation.

Named for the opening words of the UN Charter, the awards recognize pathbreaking leaders and unsung heroes whose achievements have made measurable impacts in charting a course toward a better world for all, according to the Foundation.

Johnson was honored with the “Leadership for a Better World Award” in recognition of his legacy of leadership for a more sustainable world with expanded opportunity for all.
He was lauded for work to eliminate vector-borne disease, according to the UN Foundation.

The honor was presented to him by Laura Turner Seydel, director of the Turner Foundation and Chair of the Captain Planet Foundation, as well as a member of the UN Foundation Board of Directors.

SC Johnson’s History of Insect Repellent Science & Philanthropy

SC Johnson is one one of the world’s largest manufacturers of insect repellents and household pest control products.

Since 1957, SC Johnson has operated one of the largest private, urban entomology research centers in the world. At the SC Johnson Institute of Insect Science for Family Health, scientists work to help families protect themselves from insects, particularly those that may carry diseases.



SC Johnson’s products repel, control and kill pests in and around the home, including mosquitoes, roaches, ticks, ants and others. The company’s major pest control brands include Raid, Off, Baygon, Autan, Allout, Ridsect, Exposis, Fuyi, Pyrel, Polil, F-Killer and Pest Rest.

SCJ’s brands fund in-store education programs, collaborations with local governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOS), product sampling and other efforts to educate families the importance of avoiding insect bites.

The company also works with NGOs worldwide to educate underserved communities on how to avoid mosquito bites and prevent disease transmission. Since 2013, the team has reached more than 71 million families across 26 countries with public health education and support, according to SCJ.
Innovation

Since 2006, SC Johnson has been helping lead the way in developing low-cost spatial repellents as a public health measure to reduce mosquito-borne disease transmission. Its program aims to create effective products, tailor them for underserved communities and work with partners to distribute them in trusted channels, says SC Johnson.
For example, its Mosquito Shield spatial repellent, developed in 2017, is an easy-to-use product that can help protect a semi-enclosed or enclosed space from mosquitoes without requiring electricity or a flame to work. It has been through trials in Indonesia and Peru, with promising results, and is now in large-scale clinical trials funded by UNITAID in Kenya, Mali and Sri Lanka.

Public health support is another critical element of its work. Since 2018, SC Johnson has established 68 health clinics across Rwanda in partnership with the Rwanda Ministry of Family Health and the Society for Family Health Rwanda. The clinics help address malaria as well as other health issues like HIV/AIDS, family planning, nutrition and access to clean water. Further efforts include a SC Johnson community health clinic in South Sudan near the Uganda border and another in Sumba, Indonesia. SCJ also has strategic partnerships Rwanda Ministry of Family Health and the Society for Family Health Rwanda are a vital part of its efforts to fight disease and support public health. Other recent examples include:

SC Johnson also has a history of providing financial support and product donations to support health and help prevent disease, whether its providing repellents to areas affected by natural disasters or supporting larger initiatives in times of health crises. During the Zika health crisis of 2016 and 2017, SCJ donated $15 million to provide products and support for families and communities. In 2020 and 2021, SCJ's $15 million commitment to fight covid-19 included providing vaccines for all of Rwanda’s 60K community health workers.

The 2023 We the Peoples Awards Ceremony was held at Gotham Hall in New York City on Nov. 16, 2023.

Additional Reading

Celebrity Dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu Promotes Launch of New Off! Insect Repellents for Adults and Children in NYC

Spotted at CES: High-Tech Insect Bite Relief