Beckman Coulter chief executive officer steps down

Beckman Coulter has announced that its chairman, president and chief executive officer (CEO) Scott Garrett has resigned from his position after a five-year spell in the role.

J Robert Hurley has been named as the interim president and CEO of the firm as of this week, with Beckman Coulter now set to initiate a search for a permanent successor.

Mr Garrett has been with the company for around eight years, with non-executive chairman Glenn Schafer hailing his contributions to its success during the period.

He will remain with Beckman Coulter in the capacity of a full-time non-executive employee until January 15th 2011, allowing him to aid the board of directors in handling the leadership transition.

"I've had the pleasure and privilege to lead the company through many significant improvements. Today, the company continues making good progress, even in a very challenging environment," said Mr Garrett.

According to its most recent financial report, Beckman Coulter experienced a 19.2 per cent year-on-year revenue increase in the second quarter of 2010, thanks mainly to its recent acquisition and integration of Olympus Diagnostics.