Tom Polen is chairman and chief executive officer of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a global leader in medical technology with a bold purpose of advancing the world of health™. He leads the $21 billion enterprise and its ~70,000 associates, driving innovation that is redefining care delivery and improving patient outcomes worldwide. Polen was named chief executive officer in February 2020 and appointed chairman in April 2021.
Polen brings more than 25 years of experience in the medtech industry. Before becoming BD CEO, he served as president and chief operating officer, and prior to that as president of the medical segment, during which he led the $12 billion acquisition of CareFusion, spearheading the company’s expansion into informatics, healthcare automation and digital health solutions. He later led the strategy for the acquisition of C. R. Bard, Inc., further strengthening BD’s leadership as a medtech powerhouse.
Polen’s tenure at BD began in 1999 when he joined through an acquired early phase start-up. In 2004, he joined Baxter Healthcare, where he successfully led their pharmaceuticals businesses. He returned to BD in 2009 and has since led a range of businesses across BD’s life science and medical device segments. Polen brings significant experience in portfolio transformation, advancing cutting-edge medical innovation, global market presence and large-scale manufacturing excellence. Under his leadership, BD has completed more than 30 acquisitions and significantly transformed the relevance and impact of its portfolio.
Polen is deeply committed to shaping the future of healthcare. He serves on the board of directors of the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) as Chair of its payment and reimbursement committee. He also serves as a member of the Business Roundtable and the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable. Polen recently served on the board of directors for Walgreens Boots Alliance, on its committees for compensation and leadership, finance and compliance, safety and quality, as well as on the transaction committee for its transition to a private company.
Polen holds a bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University and a master’s in business administration from Johns Hopkins University.