Danaher Announces General Counsel Brian Ellis to Step Down as Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Danaher Corporation announced that Brian W. Ellis, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, will step down on August 25, 2025. He will remain as Senior Vice President until his retirement on February 28, 2026. The company's solid financial health and robust earnings performance in bioprocessing and diagnostics are notable, but concerns about global trade tensions and stagnant revenue growth remain.

Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) has announced the retirement of Brian W. Ellis, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, effective August 25, 2025. Ellis will remain in an executive officer role until February 28, 2026, to support the transition. Jonathan Leiken, who previously served as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Dollar Tree, Inc., will take over as Senior Vice President and General Counsel [1].

Ellis, who has been with Danaher for nearly a decade, played a pivotal role in shaping the company's transformation into a global science and technology leader. During his tenure, Danaher spun off new companies such as Fortive Corp., Envista Holdings Corp., and Veralto Corp., and completed billion-dollar acquisitions of assets like Abcam, Cepheid, and Cytiva [2]. His departure marks a significant change in leadership for Danaher's legal and compliance functions.

The company's financial health remains robust, with the second quarter of 2025 showing steady growth in its bioprocessing business and disciplined cost management. Revenue for the quarter was $5.94 billion, exceeding analyst estimates by 3.4% year-on-year growth and 1.7% beat. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were $1.80, up 9.5% from estimates, and adjusted EBITDA was $1.80 billion, a 30.4% margin and 7.8% beat [3]. The company's revenue guidance for the third quarter of 2025 is $5.94 billion, slightly below analyst estimates, while full-year Adjusted EPS guidance was raised to $7.75.

Despite these positive financial indicators, Danaher continues to face challenges from global trade tensions and a soft environment for academic and government research. The company noted continued softness in China's diagnostics segment due to recent procurement and reimbursement changes, although overall market conditions in clinical diagnostics and applied markets remained stable [3].

As Danaher navigates these challenges, the appointment of Jonathan Leiken as General Counsel brings a wealth of legal and leadership experience to the company. Leiken's strategic mindset, sound judgment, and collaborative approach are expected to strengthen Danaher's capabilities in delivering growth, innovation, and results for its customers, patients, associates, and shareholders [1].

References:
[1] https://investors.danaher.com/2025-07-31-Danaher-Appoints-Jonathan-Leiken-as-General-Counsel
[2] https://news.bloomberglaw.com/in-house-counsel/danaher-takes-dollar-trees-top-lawyer-after-family-dollar-sale
[3] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/5-revealing-analyst-questions-danaher-053156305.html