Thomas Polen , serves as chief executive officer and president of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a global medical technology company headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. He also leads the BD Executive Leadership Team.
Polen joined BD in 1999, after growing an early phase start-up that was subsequently purchased by BD. From 1999 to 2004, he held a variety of sales and marketing positions with increasing responsibility, in BD Biosciences and BD Diagnostics Systems.
In 2004, Polen joined Baxter Healthcare, where he led the pharmaceutical manufacturing and services business before assuming the role of vice president of Strategic Marketing. He was later promoted to general manager of Baxter’s Injectable Pharmaceuticals business. During his tenure at Baxter, Polen was named among Chicago’s top 40 leaders under 40, by Crain’s Chicago Business.
In 2009, Polen rejoined BD as president of BD Preanalytical Systems. He assumed the role of president of BD Diagnostics Systems from 2010 to 2013, and later served as group president, responsible for BD Medical Surgical Systems and BD Pharmaceutical Systems. In 2014, Polen was named segment president, BD Medical, where he led the $12 billion acquisition of CareFusion in 2015, the company’s expansion into informatics and digital health solutions and the $24 billion acquisition of C. R. Bard, Inc. in 2017. Following the Bard acquisition, Polen was named president and chief operating officer in 2017 where he was responsible for the company’s three business segments – Medical, Life Sciences and Interventional, as well as Research and Development, Innovation, Operations and the commercial organization of the company’s Americas Region.
Polen is an active benefactor and volunteer for the Children’s Tumor Foundation, as well as a number of national and local associations committed to helping patients with breast cancer. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Salisbury University of Maryland and a master’s degree in business administration from Johns Hopkins University.
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) is an American medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs nearly 30,000 people in more than 50 countries throughout the world.[2] In fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, 60% of BD sales were generated from non-U.S. markets.
The company's customers include healthcare institutions, science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public. BD was one of the first companies to sell U.S.-made glass syringes. It was also a pioneer in the production of hypodermic needles. Today, BD is divided into three segments: BD Medical, BD Diagnostics and BD Biosciences.[3] BD is ranked #336 in the 2014 Fortune 500 list.[4]
