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 a global medical technology company that is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. BD leads in patient and health care worker safety and the technologies that enable medical research and clinical laboratories. The company provides innovative solutions that help advance medical research and genomics, enhance the diagnosis of infectious disease and cancer, improve medication management, promote infection prevention, equip surgical and interventional procedures, and support the management of diabetes. The company partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. BD has more than 40,000 associates across 50 countries who work in close collaboration with customers and partners to help enhance outcomes, lower health care delivery costs, increase efficiencies, improve health care safety and expand access to health. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com.