Mikael Dolsten
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIESAbout Mikael Dolsten
Mikael Dolsten, M.D., Ph.D., age 66, has served on Agilent’s Board since September 2021 and is currently an independent director serving on the Audit and Finance and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees . He retired as Pfizer’s President of Worldwide Research, Development and Medical, Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President in January 2025 and currently serves as an advisor to Pfizer’s CEO .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. | President, Worldwide R&D; Chief Scientific Officer; EVP | 2010–Jan 2025; Advisor to CEO thereafter | Senior executive leadership across R&D and medical |
| Pfizer Inc. | President, Worldwide R&D; SVP | May 2010–Dec 2010 | Senior R&D leadership |
| Pfizer Inc. | President, BioTherapeutics R&D; SVP | 2009–2010 | Biotherapeutics R&D leadership |
| Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer 2009) | President, Wyeth Research; SVP | 2008–2009 | Led pharma research |
| OrbiMed Advisors | Private Equity Partner | Prior to 2008 | Life sciences investing |
| Boehringer Ingelheim | EVP, Head of Pharma Research | Prior to 2008 | Led pharma research |
| AstraZeneca; Pharmacia & Upjohn | Research leadership positions | Prior to 2008 | Senior research roles |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vimian Group (public) | Director | Since Apr 2021 | Veterinary-focused company |
| Karyopharm Therapeutics (public) | Director | Mar 2015–Dec 2021 | Former public directorship |
| Pfizer Inc. | Advisor to CEO | Since Jan 2025 | Post-retirement advisory role |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit and Finance (member); Nominating/Corporate Governance (member) .
- Independence: All Audit and Finance Committee members are independent and financially literate under NYSE standards; Dow R. Wilson is identified as the committee’s “Financial Expert” .
- Attendance/engagement:
- FY2024: Board met 7 times; each director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and applicable committee meetings; Audit & Finance met 12 times; Nominating/Corporate Governance met 5 times .
- FY2023: Board met 12 times; each director attended at least 75%; Audit & Finance met 13 times; Compensation met 3 times; Nominating/Corporate Governance met 5 times .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric (USD) | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board Cash Retainer | $10,776 | $103,333 | $105,000 | $105,000 |
| Audit & Finance Member Retainer | $4,411 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Committee Chair Fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Equity – Stock Awards (grant-date fair value) | $97,773 (567 shares) | $244,224 (1,785 shares) | $226,848 (1,658 shares) | $247,471 (1,678 shares) |
| Total Director Compensation | $112,960 | $357,557 | $341,848 | $362,471 |
Notes:
- Annual program structure: Board cash retainer $105,000 for members; Non-Executive Chair retainer $155,000; Audit & Finance chair $25,000; Compensation chair $20,000; Nominating/Corporate Governance has no member retainer; annual stock grant targets $235,000, granted on the later of March 1 or the first trading day after the annual meeting; shares determined by dividing $235,000 by the 20-day average fair market value; stock vests immediately; deferral via Director Deferral Plan available .
- Stock awards to non-employee directors vest immediately upon grant; no unvested awards outstanding at fiscal year-end .
Performance Compensation
| Component | Performance Metrics | Vesting/Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Director Equity Grants | None (time-based stock grants; no PSUs/options for directors) | Immediate vest upon grant; grant size set by program policy |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship | Governance Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. | Former senior executive; current advisor to CEO | Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee reviewed, approved, and ratified certain ordinary-course commercial transactions with Pfizer; no related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest in FY2024; policy-led review excludes the related person from his company’s transactions . Similar policy reviews occurred for FY2023 and FY2022 transactions involving Pfizer and other institutions; no material interests disclosed . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D leadership across Pfizer, Wyeth, Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, Pharmacia & Upjohn; brings public company director experience and expertise in business finance .
- Audit and Finance Committee member; committee members are independent and financially literate under NYSE standards .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Jan 2022 | Jan 2023 | Jan 2024 | Jan 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Shares Owned | 284 | 1,177 | 2,006 | 2,845 |
| Deferred Stock/Share Equivalents | 283 | 1,181 | 2,023 | 2,881 |
| Shares Subject to Options/RSUs Vesting within 60 Days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Beneficial Ownership | 567 | 2,358 | 4,029 | 5,726 |
| Ownership as % of Outstanding | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% |
Ownership alignment policies:
- Director stock ownership guidelines require holdings of at least six times the annual cash retainer; attainment within five years of initial election/appointment; all incumbent directors have achieved or are expected to achieve within five years .
- Hedging and pledging prohibited: directors and executive officers may not engage in hedging transactions, buy on margin, or pledge Agilent stock as collateral; Rule 10b5-1 trading plans are permitted .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths:
- Independent director with deep life sciences R&D expertise and public board experience; sits on Audit & Finance and Nominating/Corporate Governance committees, supporting board effectiveness in oversight and director nominations .
- Strong engagement: Audit & Finance met 12 times in FY2024 and 13 times in FY2023; board-level attendance threshold met by all directors (≥75%) .
- Alignment: Director compensation mix emphasizes equity (immediate-vest stock), with clear ownership guidelines and strict hedging/pledging prohibitions to maintain shareholder alignment .
- Watch items:
- Potential related-party exposure via Pfizer: transactions with Pfizer are ordinary course and subject to formal Related Person Transactions Policy review and ratification; no material interests disclosed, and the related person is excluded from deliberations, but continued monitoring is prudent given ongoing advisory role at Pfizer .
- Program context:
- Non-employee director pay is stable with modest changes in annual stock grant fair values driven by share price/20-day averages; no meeting fees; committee premia only for Audit & Finance members/chairs and Compensation chair; Nominating has no premia, limiting pay inflation risk .