Agilent Technologies recently announced that Mr Mike McMullen, senior vice president, Agilent, and president of the company's Chemical Analysis Group (CAG), will succeed Mr William (Bill) Sullivan as CEO on March 18, 2015. Mr Sullivan will remain as an advisor through the end of the company's fiscal year, Oct 31, 2015, when he will retire.

As a first step in the transition, Agilent's board of directors has appointed
Mr McMullen aged 53 as president and chief operating officer, effective immediately.

"This transition is the culmination of our succession planning, and comes at a time of strength as Agilent begins to deliver the shareholder benefits of the recent spinoff of its electronic measurement business," said Mr James Cullen, chairman of Agilent's board of directors. 

As president and COO, Mr McMullen will be responsible for the company's businesses, CAG and Life Sciences and Diagnostics Group, Order Fulfillment and the newly formed Agilent CrossLab Group, as well as the global organization that houses IT, workplace services, global sourcing, and logistics.

Mr McMullen joined Hewlett-Packard Co. in 1984 as a financial analyst in the Analytical Products Group. Since then he has served in various senior management positions. As president of Agilent's Chemical Analysis business, he was responsible for company-wide organization in the chemical and energy, food and environmental markets, as well as the services and consumables business for CAG and Life Sciences.

"It is an honor to have been asked to lead Agilent and our very talented teams into the future," Mr McMullen said. "Agilent is a great company that is well positioned to tap new opportunities in life sciences, diagnostics and applied markets. Our strategy is compelling and will create value for our shareholders. I am excited about working with the teams to execute on our plans."

"Our focus remains where it has always been-on our customers, supporting their everyday goals in the laboratory as well as their big, world-changing breakthroughs," he said.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr Deepak Rawal, country general manager, Agilent Technologies India said, "Mr Bill Sullivan has done a tremendous job evolving Agilent and making it a focused life sciences, diagnostics and applied markets company. I now look forward to Mike leading us to the next phase in Agilent's journey. He is an inspiring leader and Team India is fully geared to support this exciting new chapter at Agilent."