Miles White Brings to a Close His Nearly 40-Year-Tenure with Abbott

Former Abbott Laboratories CEO, Miles White is stepping down from his role as executive chairman of the board. The Abbott, IL-based company’s board said it has elected CEO Robert Ford as the new chairman.

White announced in late 2019 that he would step down as Abbott’s CEO and remain as executive chairman. It was during that time that Ford was announced as the new CEO of the company.

"I want to thank Miles for all he's done for Abbott and the people we serve, as well as his mentorship and friendship throughout my career," Ford said in a release. "It's my honor to work alongside the Board and my global team to deliver on the unprecedented opportunities in front of us, so Abbott continues to lead in the reshaping of the future of healthcare."

Today’s announcement is the final chapter in White’s nearly 40 -year career in Abbott.

White has been a part of some of the biggest milestones Abbott has seen in recent history. He led the company during the $25 billion acquisition of St. Jude Medical.

Under White’s leadership, Abbott also won a nod from FDA for the Freestyle Libre Glucose Monitoring System.  

"It's been my privilege to serve Abbott and its many stakeholders, reshaping the Company to keep it relevant and strong while medicine, technology and society have evolved," said Mr. White. "Abbott will be in good hands with Robert's leadership, and I want to thank the Board and my colleagues – current and past – for their support during my tenure."