# Tom Polen

> Tom Polen is chairman, CEO and president of BD. He first joined in 1999 through an acquired startup, worked at Baxter from 2004, and returned to BD in 2009. His career combines portfolio transformation with a public emphasis on written strategy, listening and continuous improvement.

- **Role:** Chairman, CEO and President at BD
- **Organizations:** BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Baxter Healthcare (former employer), AdvaMed (board member), Business Roundtable (member), Walgreens Boots Alliance (former board member)
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree, Salisbury University, Master of Business Administration, Johns Hopkins University
- **Known for:** Led major portfolio transactions, including CareFusion and the strategy for Bard., Received a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award recognizing Top CEOs in 2021., Supported matching gifts toward a Salisbury scholarship honoring former teacher Diane Davis.

## Career timeline

- **1999** — Joined BD through an acquired startup.
- **2004** — Joined Baxter Healthcare.
- **2009** — Returned to BD as president of Preanalytical Systems.
- **2014** — Became president of the BD Medical segment.
- **2015** — Led the $12 billion CareFusion acquisition.
- **2017** — Appointed BD president in April; led the strategy for the $24 billion Bard acquisition.
- **2018** — Named chief operating officer in October.
- **2020** — Became CEO and president, effective January 28 under the succession announcement.
- **2021** — Added the board chairmanship, effective April 28.
- **2026** — Led BD as its former Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business separated and combined with Waters on February 9.

## Achievements

- Led major portfolio transactions, including CareFusion and the strategy for Bard.
- Received a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award recognizing Top CEOs in 2021.
- Supported matching gifts toward a Salisbury scholarship honoring former teacher Diane Davis.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — BD reported $4.983 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 30, up 5.4% as reported; Polen described this as the first full quarter of New BD.
- **2026-05** — Discussed combining lean operating practices with AI and automation in a Semafor interview.
- **2026-02** — BD completed the business separation and combination with Waters on February 9.

## Links

- Website: https://www.bd.com/en-us/about-bd/our-company/polen-tom
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tompolen-bd-ceo
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/TomPolen_BD

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/tom-polen
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21