Meet Padraig McDonnell, Agilent's new CEO
Early in his 26-year career at Agilent, Padraig McDonnell’s mentor gave him sage advice.
“He said to me, ‘Your job as a leader, Padraig, is actually to remove obstacles for the team.’”
And that’s what he’s done.
“Padraig knows how to build teams, he knows how to set the strategy with the team, and he knows how to deliver exceptional results,” said retiring President and CEO Mike McMullen. “Every time we’ve asked him to take on a bigger leadership role in the company, he’s been able to take it on. And there’s no reason that won’t continue with him as CEO.”
After joining HP in 1998 as a customer engineer, McDonnell moved into sales and become foundational in creating Agilent’s Services business that has fueled the company’s growth.
“We have amazing customer-centricity at Agilent. That differentiates us from our competitors. When we have customer-centricity and innovation and we serve our customers well, that’s something that we really want to continue to double down on,” he noted. “The world is changing. We need to continue to evolve. The competition is evolving, the marketplace is evolving, and our speed needs to continue in that direction.”
A native of Ireland, McDonnell immigrated to the U.S. in 2017 to become vice president and general manager of Agilent’s Chemistries and Supplies Division.
“It was a big change — a big, big change — both personally and professionally,” he said, reflecting on that moment eight years ago.
But he could see what might be possible by moving 3,000 miles away to another country.
“He was willing to take a chance, to make that big, bold move. It’s a great example of his total commitment to the company,” McMullen said. “And I have all the trust in the world that Padraig will do the right thing for the company moving forward.”
McDonnell remains as enthusiastic about being Agilent’s CEO as he was at the age of 27, when he first joined customer-focused HP.
“I’m so energized by the possibilities we have as a company,” he said. “We have a great company. We have a lot of opportunities going forward. And we have a great team to do it.”
Padraig McDonnell
Cavan, Ireland
California
- Bachelor of Science from National University of Ireland-Maynooth
- Post-graduate diploma in Chemistry and Biochemistry from National University of Ireland-Galway
- Post-graduate diploma in Strategy and Innovation from University College of Dublin in Ireland
Tennis, running, live music
For more about Padraig’s leadership background, please see his biography.
Learn morePadraig's Journey with Agilent
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