FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., April 23, 2017 – BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, announced today the appointment of Tom Polen, 43, as president of BD, effective immediately. In his new role, Mr. Polen will oversee all of BD's operating segments – the Medical and Life Sciences segments, as well as the new Interventional segment, which will include the C. R. Bard, Inc. (NYSE: BCR) businesses following the close of BD's acquisition of Bard, which was also announced today. Mr. Polen, currently executive vice president and president of the BD Medical Segment, will continue to report to Vince Forlenza, who remains chairman and CEO of BD.
"Tom brings a deep understanding of BD, the medical technology industry and the global healthcare environment," said Vince Forlenza, chairman and CEO of BD. "His well-deserved promotion reflects his leadership in developing and implementing BD Medical's strategy and vision, his proven track record of delivering strong performance, and his commitment to ensuring the ongoing success of BD and its associates. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Board, Tom, our entire leadership team, and our associates to successfully integrate and grow the combined company in the years ahead, as we deliver on our purpose of advancing the world of health."
Mr. Polen said, "This is an exciting time for BD. I am honored to serve in this new role as we continue our transformation into a medical technology leader focused on delivering solutions that advance the discovery, diagnostics and delivery of health care globally and helping health care providers worldwide to improve both the process of care and the treatment of disease."
Mr. Polen originally joined BD in 1999. His BD career has spanned sales, marketing, general management and strategic planning roles. In 2004, Mr. Polen joined Baxter Healthcare, where he last served as General Manager of Baxter's Global Pharmaceutical Injectables business. Since rejoining BD in 2009, Mr. Polen has worked in or had responsibility for a range of businesses in the company, including roles as worldwide president, BD Preanalytical Systems; worldwide president, BD Diagnostics Systems; group president, BD Medical Surgical Systems and BD Pharmaceutical Systems. In October 2014, Mr. Polen was named executive vice president and president of the BD Medical segment.
Mr. Polen holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland.
About BD
BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of healthcare by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for healthcare providers. BD and its 65,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to healthcare. In 2017, BD welcomed C. R. Bard and its products into the BD family. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com
For more information on BD, please visit bd.com.