William P. Sullivan served as the CEO of Agilent Technologies for a decade, from 2005 to 2015. During his time, he transitioned the company from its roots at Hewlett-Packard to a leading player in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical...

William P. Sullivan served as the CEO of Agilent Technologies for a decade, from 2005 to 2015. During his time, he transitioned the company from its roots at Hewlett-Packard to a leading player in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets. One interesting point is that he oversaw a significant corporate restructuring that included the spin-off of Keysight Technologies, which boosted Agilent's market focus. Sullivan’s compensation in 2014 was notably high, totaling approximately $1.63 million, a mix of salary, bonuses, and stock awards—showing how his pay was tied to company performance. Under his leadership, Agilent focused on aligning executive pay with company success, illustrated by a substantial increase in company stock from around $35 million to over $70 million in his last few years. He also had a strong track record of insider trading, with major stock sales peaking at about $79 million in September 2021. Sullivan's background includes various management roles at Hewlett-Packard before he joined Agilent, where he was instrumental in expanding the company's product lines and improving overall profitability. Even after retiring, he remained a key advisor until late 2015, demonstrating his commitment to Agilent’s ongoing success.