Former Stryker Corp. CEO Stephen MacMillan sure looks like a fit for Johnson & Johnson’s medical device arm, now that a $21.3 billion Synthes buyout is slated to close tomorrow - but will a two-year non-compete stand in the way? As the completion of the union between Synthes Inc. and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) draws near, there’s an awfully good executive sitting on the sidelines: former Stryker (NYSE:SYK) CEO Stephen MacMillan. Rumors are a-swirl that MacMillan, whose hasty exit from the Kalamazoo, Mich.-based orthopedic company earlier this year was precipitated by a personal relationship with a fellow employee, has been angling for a senior management position at the New Brunswick, N.J.-based healthcare conglomerate. He’d seemingly be a great fit to run the now vastly expanded orthopedic operation at Johnson & Johnson, which is fixing to pay a $21.3 billion dowry for Synthes and its orthopedic trauma business.
