BD names CEO Tom Polen as Chairman of the Board

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) a leading global medical technology company, today announced Tom Polen, BD CEO and president, will assume additional responsibility as chairman of the BD board of directors, effective April 28, 2021. Polen will succeed Vincent A. Forlenza, who will retire from BD at that time.

“In Tom’s first year as CEO, he faced unprecedented challenges from the global COVID-19 pandemic, and successfully guided the company to assist in the pandemic, while also advancing the focus and commitment to quality and compliance across the organization,” said Marshall Larsen, lead director for the BD board. “Under his leadership, BD developed and rapidly scaled COVID-19 diagnostic testing, increased manufacturing for syringes and needles to meet the needs for worldwide COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and ensured BD’s full spectrum of critical innovations continued to reach patients around the globe. Tom and his leadership team also advanced several important strategic initiatives during his first year as CEO. The results are a testament to his leadership and decisive actions. BD will be well served with Tom as chairman of the board.

“I’d also like to thank Vince for his lifetime commitment to making BD a better company for its customers, employees and investors,” Larsen continued. “Vince led the company through its greatest transformation in its more than 120-year history. The culmination of Vince’s legacy included the acquisitions of CareFusion and C. R. Bard, which expanded BD’s ability to serve more patients and increased the company’s relevance to its global customers. We wish Vince and his family the very best in his retirement.”

Polen, 47, joined BD in 1999, and has held a variety of leadership roles at numerous business units. He was appointed president of BD in April 2017, was named chief operating officer in October 2018 and became CEO in January 2020.

“It is truly an honor to lead this innovative company, particularly at this critical time in the health care industry,” said Polen. “BD’s success has always been a collective achievement, driven by the hard work and unwavering commitment of our employees around the globe. I’m proud of the way our team has responded to the greatest health care crisis in a century by rallying around the company’s purpose and embracing the values that drive the culture of growth through innovation, quality and compliance across our organization. We will continue to rely on their passion and support to help us in advancing the world of health for our customers and their patients. I look forward to working with our board of directors and the global BD team to continue to drive the BD 2025 strategy of Grow, Simplify and Empower.” – PR Newswire