PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan 19, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Agilent
Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today announced that its board of directors
has elected William P. (Bill) Sullivan as the company's next president
and chief executive officer, effective March 1, 2005. Sullivan, 55,
currently Agilent's executive vice president and chief operating
officer, succeeds Edward W. (Ned) Barnholt, who has announced his
retirement as chairman, president and CEO of the company he helped
launch following its spin-off from Hewlett-Packard in 1999. Barnholt,
61, had previously been an executive vice president of HP and the
general manager of its measurement organization that incorporated all
of Agilent's business groups.
"The past six years as Agilent's CEO have been rewarding ones for
me," said Barnholt. "While I will miss this important part of my life,
I look forward to what lies ahead. I leave Agilent with a great sense
of pride in terms of what we have accomplished. We are financially
sound, we have a leaner, more flexible organization, and we have
extended our market leadership through continued innovation. We have
achieved this thanks to the hard work and dedication of all our
outstanding employees around the world.
"It's the right time for me to step down, and Bill Sullivan is
clearly the right person to lead the company forward," added Barnholt.
"He has a proven track record of results, experience in multiple
businesses, and strong leadership skills. After many years at HP and
Agilent, Bill understands our company very well. I look forward to
working with him through the transition."
James G. Cullen, 62, who has served on Agilent's board of
directors since 2000, will assume the position of non-executive
chairman upon Barnholt's retirement in March. At that time, Sullivan
will join the board. Barnholt will stay on as chairman emeritus as
long as needed to ensure a smooth transition.
In addition to his current responsibilities as executive vice
president and COO of Agilent, Sullivan has had overall responsibility
for the Electronic Products and Solutions Group (EPSG), Agilent's
largest business group. He has been instrumental in returning this
business to financial health and in helping to lead the company's
operational transformation. Sullivan was formerly senior vice
president and general manager of Agilent's Semiconductor Products
Group. He joined Hewlett-Packard in 1976, and during the course of his
career developed considerable expertise in telecommunications, data
communications, computers and semiconductors.
"I want to acknowledge the tremendous contribution that Ned
Barnholt has made to Agilent," said Sullivan. "It has been a privilege
to work with him. The past six years have been a roller-coaster ride
for all of us, but under Ned's leadership, the company was
successfully launched, navigated the downturn and transformed all of
its major operations. Agilent is now stronger than ever and is well
positioned for future success.
"I am delighted and honored to have the opportunity to lead
Agilent, one of the world's premier technology companies," Sullivan
added. "This is a great organization and I look forward to continuing
my work with the outstanding Agilent team."
Sullivan, who was born in Yakima, Wash., received a Bachelor of
Science degree from the University of California at Davis.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is a global technology leader
in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis.
The company's 28,000 employees serve customers in more than 110
countries. Agilent had net revenue of $7.2 billion in fiscal year
2004. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at
www.agilent.com.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Further technology, corporate citizenship and
executive news is available on the Agilent news site at
www.agilent.com/go/news.
SOURCE: Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies
Amy Flores, 650-752-5303
amy_flores@agilent.com