Danaher Names Diagnostics Chief Julie Sawyer Montgomery CEO as Rainer Blair Retires

Danaher's board of directors has appointed Julie Sawyer Montgomery, the executive in charge of its diagnostics business, as president and chief executive officer, effective Oct. 1, the company said in a press release issued Aug. 3. She will also join the board.

Rainer Blair, Danaher's CEO for the past six years, will retire on that date and serve as a senior adviser until March 31, 2027 "to ensure a seamless transition," the company said.

"In alignment with the Board of Directors' succession planning process, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Julie as our next Chief Executive Officer," said Steven Rales, chairman of Danaher's board. "We are at a uniquely opportune moment for Danaher, with untapped potential to accelerate growth across the enterprise."

From Beckman Coulter to the top job

Sawyer Montgomery joined Danaher in 2017 at Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, where she led commercial operations and research and development before becoming president of that business in 2020. She most recently served as executive vice president with responsibility for the diagnostics platform, according to the release, and has nearly 25 years of experience across healthcare, commercial operations and R&D.

Danaher said she helped grow the diagnostics business from approximately $6.0 billion in revenue in 2017 to approximately $11.0 billion today, while approximately tripling operating profit. Mitchell Rales, chairman of Danaher's executive committee, said in the release that she led the recent acquisition of Masimo and the pending acquisition of StatLab. The $9.9 billion Masimo deal closed in June, MedTech Dive reported on Aug. 4.

"I am honored to lead Danaher into its next chapter and want to thank Rainer for his leadership," Sawyer Montgomery said in the release. Blair called serving as president and CEO "a privilege of a lifetime."

No change in strategy or guidance, analyst says

Danaher said there is no change to its previously communicated third-quarter and full-year 2026 guidance. In conjunction with the appointment, the company said, it has announced special equity incentive awards for key leadership members and founders.

J.P. Morgan analyst Casey Woodring wrote in a note to clients that the appointment does not signal a shift in strategy toward diagnostics, according to MedTech Dive. "Management indicated that it feels what Montgomery has done in leveraging the power of the [Danaher] platform in Diagnostics can be applied effectively to other areas of the business," Woodring wrote. He described Blair's departure as part of a longstanding succession process, the outlet reported.

Danaher, which describes itself as a global life sciences and diagnostics company with about 60,000 associates, also operates biotechnology and life sciences segments.