BD, the medical technology company based in Franklin Lakes, announced that CEO and President Tom Polen will assume the additional post of chairman of the board in April.
Polen will take over for Chairman Vincent A. Forlenza on April 28, the company — also known as Becton, Dickinson & Co. — said, in addition to maintaining his current duties.
“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,” Lead Director Marshall Larsen said in a prepared statement. “… BD will be well-served with Tom as chairman of the board.”
Polen joined BD in 1999, and has held a variety of leadership roles since then, being appointed president in April 2017, chief operating officer in October 2018 and CEO in January 2020.
“It is truly an honor to lead this innovative company, particularly at this critical time in the health care industry,” Polen said in a statement. “BD’s success has always been a collective achievement, driven by the hard work and unwavering commitment of our employees around the globe. … 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.’”
Forlenza will retire from the board of the company on the same day Polen takes on the chairman’s role. He had retired from the CEO role in January 2020, when Polen assumed that post.
“Vince led the company through its greatest transformation in its more than 120-year history,” Larsen said. “The culimination 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 consumers.”
