Agilent Technologies Inc. announced that Padraig McDonnell, president of the Agilent CrossLab Group (ACG), has been named CEO-elect and chief operating officer (COO) of the company, succeeding current President and CEO Mike McMullen who will retire. McDonnell will become Agilent?s president and CEO and join Agilent?s Board of Directors on May 1, 2024. After nearly 40 years with Agilent and its predecessor Hewlett-Packard Co., McMullen will continue as CEO and as a member of the Agilent Board of Directors until May 1, 2024.

He will then become an adviser to McDonnell and Agilent until his retirement October 31, 2024. McDonnell, 52, has been president of ACG since May 2020 and was also named chief commercial officer in November 2021. In his most recent role, McDonnell drove exceptional growth in Agilent?s Services business, with significant improvements in profitability and customer satisfaction.

As chief commercial officer he also led the transformation of the customer experience at Agilent by improving the end-to-end customer journey. Prior to becoming ACG president, McDonnell was vice president and general manager of Agilent?s Chemistries and Supplies Division, a role to which he was named in 2017. He has been in the analytical- and scientific-instrument industry for 26 years, starting his career with Agilent?s predecessor Hewlett-Packard Co.

in 1998. McMullen, 63, has served as Agilent CEO since 2015. Prior to becoming CEO, he was president of the company's Chemical Analysis Group (CAG) from 2009 until November 2014.

During his tenure as CEO, he led Agilent?s transformation into a market leading life-sciences and diagnostics company after the spin-off of the company?s electronic measurement business, now Keysight Technologies. Agilent?s market capitalization has nearly tripled during McMullen?s time as CEO. He drove a business and cultural transformation that led to significant improvements in growth and improved profitability.

Under McMullen?s leadership, Agilent is consistently ranked among the best companies to work for, which has been key to delivering some of the best financial results in the industry. With McDonnell becoming CEO-elect and COO, Angelica Riemann, vice president and general manager of ACG?s CrossLab Services Division, will become ACG president. Jonah Kirkwood, vice president of Global Sales, will take on the role of chief commercial officer and lead the One Agilent Commercial Organization.

Both will continue to report to McDonnell, effective immediately, along with the leaders of Agilent?s business groups.