Tag: Danaher Corporate

DBS, yes! Igor Zeltzer shares his passion for Danaher’s continuous improvement culture

The Danaher Business System (DBS) not only makes Danaher unique, but it also gives associates the ability to quickly adapt and tackle tough problems, no matter what role they are in. Reflecting on three decades with Danaher, Igor Zeltzer, VP, DBSO Innovation, shares how DBS—and Danaher’s continuous improvement culture—has propelled his career to where it is today.

Igor Zeltzer spent his teenage years coding. He developed an early love for computers and used every opportunity to learn more about programming. Considering his passion, a career in IT seemed like a natural choice.

Living in Ontario, Canada, he started his career in the IT Helpdesk at SCIEX (a Danaher business). Within a few years, he moved up through the ranks to lead the 10-person IT applications group, and later, SCIEX’s entire 70-person Software Engineering team.

When SCIEX acquired Molecular Devices (another Danaher business), Igor was given the chance to lead both the software and hardware development teams as Molecular Devices’ VP of R&D. He moved his family to California to start that new adventure.

“A transition that I thought would only last a couple of years stretched into eight as Danaher acquired SCIEX and Molecular Devices in 2009,” he said. “We decided to stay in the U.S. permanently.”

Under Danaher’s new ownership, Igor noticed some big changes immediately.

“The post-acquisition changes were visible and powerful,” he said. “Danaher’s relentless focus on data-backed gap identification was immediately striking, signaling early on that transparency, problem-solving, and results aren’t just values—they’re operating principles. I loved it. The learning opportunities were just incredible.”

Igor’s introduction to DBS

Igor was first exposed to DBS during a kaizen—a highly collaborative, rapid improvement event focused on solving a specific business challenge. The focus of this particular kaizen was identifying and eliminating the causes of unexpected variation within a specific manufacturing process, which can impact product quality, efficiency and costs.

“Using the DBS toolkit, we transformed the work cell in one week, resulting in a breakthrough reliability improvement,” he said. “The experience was life-changing. Being part of a team that made the transformation happen in a matter of days (including a visit to one of the suppliers mid-week) was an eye-opening moment for me. It was the immediate realization that I was just shown a ‘secret power’ and now that I knew that it existed, I couldn’t imagine going back to doing things the old way.”

Discovering the power of DBS

Igor’s appreciation for DBS grew quickly during his tenure at SCIEX and Molecular Devices.

“We applied a DBS tool called “Speed Design Review” to one project that shrunk the timeline from 24 months to 9 months, while delivering breakthrough quality compared to previous launches,” he said. “Later, in a different role, I saw a similar outcome when a 36-month timeline was reduced to 13 months with equally high-quality results.”

Igor (furthest right) in a kaizen event.

Building a new DBS tool

In 2016, Igor’s career took him to Florida to lead R&D teams for Beckman Coulter (another Danaher business).

“One of the challenges I discovered was with development partnerships—situations where two or more companies come together to deliver a product or service to a customer,” he explained. “I became interested in codifying best practices for partnerships and when the opportunity came to build a DBS tool for Open Innovation, I jumped on the chance to move to the Strategy Development Team to build the tool.”

What is Open Innovation?

Open Innovation is continuous two-way collaboration with external parties to bring insights and economic impact to Danaher growth. Danaher’s Open Innovation DBS tool helps shorten the design-to-delivery cycle and increase strategic differentiation through improved ideation, communication and acculturation.

During the tool development process, Igor collaborated closely with internal Danaher experts and conducted 70 pilot events with various Danaher businesses to test and refine the integration between Danaher’s DBS toolkit and industry-standard partnership practices. By leveraging learnings from the pilots, Igor was able to help optimize the tool to address the highest priorities for both companies and to reduce waste – whether it was wasted time, materials or productivity.

Taking his skills to the next level

In 2020, Igor had the opportunity to take a leadership role in Danaher’s DBS Office (DBSO) leading the Innovation team—the “dream job” he’d been seeking for the last 25 years. Members of the DBSO are not only the “custodians” of DBS tools, they collaborate across Danaher’s businesses to coach leaders and associates on how to leverage the tools as a way to drive continuous improvement across the organization.

“As I spent more time with the teams, deploying and codifying new practices, I gained incredible personal satisfaction helping them deploy DBS best practices,” he said. “By delivering products to better meet our customers’ needs—faster, and at a higher quality than thought possible—our teams and our customers win. I wanted to expand my ability to help teams go through this transformation, and moving to the DBSO was the best possible way to do that.”

Today, Igor leads a team of Danaher Innovation Directors. This team applies DBS and the principles of Lean and continuous improvement to the innovation value stream to accelerate growth of Danaher’s Life Sciences and Diagnostics portfolio. The team’s work includes collaborating with newly acquired businesses to install innovation best practices, coach innovation teams, define best practices, enhance the DBS toolkit, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to leverage DBS fundamentals for efficiency and transformation.

What is an Innovation Director?

Danaher’s Innovation Directors are experienced practitioners with more than a decade of experience leveraging DBS to lead innovation in R&D or product management. The team leverages the coach’s experience, mentorship, coaching and facilitation skills to help them deploy innovation best practices and the cultural change to make them work.

“Having spent 25 years in Danaher OpCos, transitioning to DHR corporate was a big change, but an exciting one,” he added. “Suddenly I went from only being able to help one business at a time, to being able to help all of Danaher’s businesses.”

Reflecting on a career built on DBS

“While Lean manufacturing best practices are more widely adopted, Danaher is unique, with DBS part of its leadership DNA. Anyone tasked with leading transformation activity can quickly move teams from awareness and desire for change to the knowledge and ability required to execute the change.”

“Danaher’s size and scale offer opportunities for career growth that few other organizations can match. I love the culture, built on the relentless pursuit of continuous improvement and the leadership discipline to recognize a problem, drive to the root cause, countermeasure and sustain.”

How does DBS benefit all associates?

Based on his own experience, Igor is a true believer that DBS can help every associate, regardless of their roles or specific work challenges.

“For most all problems an associate wants to solve, chances are the problem has been solved many times before. Often times, the analysis and solutions have been captured and codified through DBS. It’s like having the best multi-tool toolbox at your disposal. By leveraging DBS, associates can focus their creative energy on new areas that help solve important problems and, ultimately, improve human health.”

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July 24, 2025
Inside Danaher’s Early ID and Internship Programs: Shaping the Future of STEM Talent

Taina Adovelande, Intern Program Lead sits down with the Internship Show to share insight into Danaher’s early ID and intern programs.

Press play to hear her speak about the opportunities at Danaher for early professionals!

Taina Adovelande brings over 12 years of recruiting experience across the commercial, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors. Currently in her seventh year at Danaher, she leads the Intern Program for the University Recruiting team. This marks her fifth year in this leadership role, where she oversees the development and growth of Danaher’s internship initiatives.

What excites Taina most about her role as Intern Program Lead is the opportunity to help early-career talent discover their passions and develop their skills. By facilitating the intern program, she helps students find their paths in the professional world and sets them on a course to achieve success within Danaher and beyond.

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Unlock a world of possibilities with exciting student opportunities at Danaher. Dive into the Jump Program or explore a range of dynamic internship options that can shape your future and enhance your skills.

Learn more about early careers at Danaher

Click here to read the full episode transcript

Parker Pell: On this episode of the internship show, we speak with Taina Adovelande from Danaher. Taina talks about Danaher’s early ID and intern programs. We learn about the authenticity behind the experiences they’re delivering, where you can learn about their opportunities, and so much more. Stay tuned. The show is coming up next. Taina, thanks so much today for taking the time to join in the show.

Taina Adovelande: Thank you so much for having me. So excited.

Parker Pell: Yes, so excited to have you here. We’re gonna be chatting about both early ID and internships at Danaher in our conversation today. But for starters, do you mind just introducing yourself and talking a bit about your role at Danaher for the audience?

Taina Adovelande: Yes, of course. So my name is Taina Adovelande. I’ve been with Danaher. Oh boy, maybe seven years. Going on seven years. I should know this, but I don’t. I’m gonna say seven because that just feels like a solid number. I started actually supporting one of our operating companies in talent acquisition. So I was recruiting for all of North America, all functions for Videojet Technologies. They were part of our PID platform, which has recently been spun off.

They are now known as Veralto ran by Jennifer Honeycutt, but I was in my role two and a half, almost three years before I transitioned into the UR team where I am currently residing and still working as the internship program. So have been in role four years. I’ve had two babies in that time, which is a wild to think about, but it’s been great. It’s been fun. Love it. So that’s just a little bit about me and my time here at Danaher.

Parker Pell: Thanks. And I mean, talk a talk a bit more. What do you love so much about working at Danaher that’s kept you at the organization?

Taina Adovelande: You know, that’s a great question. And I feel like over time, the drive has changed in terms of what keeps me here. So initially, when I started, you know, okay, I’m not gonna give my age, but I was just, I want a global company, a global organization, I want to travel the world.

That was definitely the space I was in mentally. And Danaher had offered it. I’m sure it’s like the largest company you’ve never heard of. So of course, when I was getting recruited, I had no clue who Danaher was. And I was trying to be cool because the recruiter was like, you know, Danaher, right? And I was like, Oh, yeah, of course, a great company.

And it’s truly turned out to be that. So not only did I get the want of having that global exposure, but through time, especially as I’ve had children, the community I built, the support from like the leadership team, my peers, all of that is just something that you don’t always get everywhere you worked. Because I’ve had a few jobs, a few other places. So that’s like one of the things that have kept me along with the opportunity to continually challenge myself. Surprise you do and you overcome your challenge. And it’s just so rewarding in that space. And so being able to continuously be challenged and have amazing projects, which we’ll talk about one of them today, so I’m really excited. I think is what keeps me here and makes me want to stay and continue to grow within the organization and see what else is in my future.

Parker Pell: That’s so exciting to hear. And I mean, we’re going to be talking about two programs today, your early ID program and then obviously your intern program. I want to start with your early ID program. Actually, why did Danaher decide to launch an early ID program?

Taina Adovelande: Yeah, no, great question. And this is one of the challenging projects that I had this past year, which has been so rewarding. And when we hit the finish line, I definitely had a shot to celebrate. But Danaher really just wanted to be able to support and enable our student development and career readiness of college freshmen and sophomore and give them that coaching and mentorship as well as inspiration in the field of STEM.

There was a crazy statistic that we had saw that I believe it’s like it’s over 65% of college freshmen drop out of the field of STEM after their freshman year. I just had that spice. But and we were sitting around thinking and as we think of an organization and like, how do you build your pipeline? How do you build your talent? How soon is too soon to start the outreach and pouring into these individuals? With that statistic and also understanding the transition our industry is going into and being more STEM focused.

It was how do we give back? But also how do we build that pipeline to bring in this great talent and give them exposure, tell them a little bit more about Danaher, you know, that brand awareness and all the cool things that we’re doing in a healthcare diagnostic, biomed space to help them, but not only them, but help us and to help us continue to grow and, you know, be that innovative powerhouse in the future. So that’s my version of why I decided to launch the Early ID Program.

Parker Pell: I think that that’s so inspirational, though. And I mean, what’s the experience that y’all are providing for your Early ID Program participants?

Taina Adovelande: Yeah, no, great question. So our Early ID Program kicks off in January, ends in May. Truthfully, it’s probably 25 hours in terms of time commitment. Just also being mindful of the students and their workload and what they’re going through in addition to what we have going on at Danaher and the day-to-day jobs that our mentors have. So one of the key aspects is we offer mentorship. So each student is paired with an early career associate, fresh two, three years out of college to be that sounding board. Also, we felt like it was key and designed on purpose to find early career mentors to mentor these individual students just because they’re more relatable. Like there’s, I might even go into when I graduated, but, you know, there’s going to be some differences, some generational gaps maybe.

So really pairing them with someone who has recently been in their shoes, has a similar background. Really being that like big brother, big sister to this individual and allowing them to show up as who they are and have conversations in a safe space that kind of just are raw, real and organic. So in addition to the mentorship, we had our development days, there were three development days where we brought in different associates from the business to either speak more on Danaher, speak on their past internship experience, early career talent, as well as giving these students some exposure into the Danaher business system, our operating companies, what ties us all together, how are we one big happy family.

So they had to participate in that. And then lastly, which was the MVP experience I am going to coin that was our in-person summit. So the day and a half event where we brought everyone together, mentors, students, and we literally just poured into them. And what I mean by that is we had social events, we had training sessions, they broke off and learned about personal branding, resume critique, interview tips, they heard panel discussions, they did a lab tour and got to do an experiment in the lab. So it was really fun and unique, but also a great time and a good way to like end the good five weeks of just building up to this point of fun.

Parker Pell: Yeah, I mean, 100%, I think that that’s awesome. And as you think about the program and kind of its intention, what’s the value add for students that are participating in Danaher’s early ID program?

Taina Adovelande: Yeah, I think that’s a great question. So I know I kind of went on a little rant about the mentorship just because I feel like it’s so key to have someone who’s been in your space and place and is able to provide that guidance. Because you don’t know what you don’t know truthfully. And you only know what you know. And sometimes some of the advice shared, it doesn’t always relate, and it’s hard to find ways in finding something relatable or like something to hold on to. So I felt like the students had the opportunity to receive that as well as advice as it comes like to their degree. Like one of the examples, I was talking to one of the mentees or one of the jump participants, I was on campus, and we grabbed coffee, and I was asking her about her mentor and she gave this story of how in one of her classes, forgive me because I can’t remember what class it was. It was very intense and technical, and I knew that just by the title of the course. She was explaining how there’s one of three females in the entire program or in the class whenever they break off into like their team or group studies or group sessions. None of the male counterparts on her team like asked her to plug in their laptop and she’s like, I know that sounds small, but it bothers me, why wouldn’t I be able to plug in? Why do you always just ask the guys? And so her mentor, being a female, had experienced that as well. And so she was able to provide her some advice and how to handle it and how to move forward with it, but also be that support and like, you know, I lived it. I know it. I know exactly how you feel. It sucks. Like, let’s get through this. And so that was great.

That story is stuck with me and like that was the whole purpose and design of the program to be that sounding board and give back to our future, but also who doesn’t want a little bit exposure into the Danaher organization or a Fortune 500 company. Like, that’s not every day that you get that opportunity. So I think that was a lot of the value add for the students who participated in the program.

Parker Pell: Yeah. I mean, I love that story. I’m curious, when does the recruiting for the next cohort for your early ID program kick off?

Taina Adovelande: October 1st.

Parker Pell: Oh, it’s coming up quick.

Taina Adovelande: It’s coming up! Yep. And I’m in the thick of planning. Next, the next cohort, but it’s going to be fun. But yeah, October 1st. October 1st.

Parker Pell: That’s super exciting to hear and good for our audience to know as well. So I mean, obviously there’s a lot that’s going into your early ID program. But secondarily, Danaher obviously has an intern program. Give us an overview of what that intern program at Danaher looks like and how you support that program as the lead.

Taina Adovelande: Yeah, no, great question. So our internship program is a 10 to 12 week immersive experience. And so it really provides you with the functional learning as well as leadership engagement, exposure to DBS, which is our Danaher business system fundamentals and how we all are tied together being a decentralized organization in addition to mentorship. One of the really cool things is at the end of the project or sorry, at the end of the 12-week program, there’s also the opportunity to present your findings and your hypothesis and or what you were able to contribute to your senior leaders. So that’s like really great exposure into them as well as just the ability to own and execute against a real problem that ties back to the business need.

So it’s not a simulation, but you really are, excuse me, working on something that’s important and handing off like your sustainment plan, which means like your legacy of your project and how the team can continue to work off of what you were able to provide them. So it’s really cool to see, especially when you come back later, should you receive an offer and accept it and pick up where you left off and say, I did this. So it’s really cool, really fun.

Parker Pell: That’s awesome. I mean, what is the conversion rate for the program look like?

Taina Adovelande: Oh, great question. So our conversion rate is aggressive. It’s definitely above industry standard. We’re at 75 percent. Which some summers it’s very like daunting, but we’ve been able to hit and exceed it for the past like five or six years, which is great because that’s what we preach on campus when we’re recruiting in terms of you want to work for a company where you feel valued and you get to see your work and you’re working on real problems and you’re not just getting coffee or donuts or, you know, like plugging numbers into Excel spreadsheets, you’re creating apps, you’re working on cancer research, you’re managing an operations floor and doing enhancements to a cell. So it’s just a lot of really cool things that you get to do, but not everyone unfortunately has the opportunity to do. So definitely one of our selling points and something I think that helps bring the students back.

Parker Pell: I was going to say, I think that’s a massive selling point. And I mean, as you think about it, you know, why would you say a student should want an internship at Danaher or one of your 17 operating companies?

Taina Adovelande: I mean, I have this honesty with the students as well, like leading up to when I am prepping them on the summer internship. It’s a great opportunity to learn. Like, let’s be honest, Danaher’s not going to be for everybody. And some companies in general aren’t going to be someone’s cup of tea and that’s okay. Like there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s really truthfully just a learning experience.

And sometimes you get like sucked up in the, I need an internship or I need a job. And you forget that piece and that’s okay. But if you can remember it, I think it’s like a life lesson, a life skill to just know like, if it’s not working for you as long as you tried it, you can never be mad at yourself. You can never sit back and say, what if I would have worked for a global company where it’s always on and, you know, I’m dealing with peers in Asia. So I might be working at 9 p.m. at night. Maybe that means my day started a little later or maybe I’m in Europe and I have a trip and I have to go run a Kaizen event because that’s where my team is that I’m supporting. So you’re traveling globally or your days are starting a little earlier. So having that like flexibility, being in a fast-paced environment, being in a metrics driven environment where, I mean, your numbers are on full display. Like anybody can come in and see where you’re winning or losing as a function on whatever ask or whatever you’re working on at that particular time. And sometimes that could be daunting and that’s not for everyone. And that’s okay. That’s what I’m, I guess, like trying to drive home because internships are not only you trying to prove yourself, but also the company try to sell you on why you should choose them. And if the culture is bad, if the experience is bad, then maybe that’s not a place for you. Like if you don’t fit in or it’s like too intense, like that’s okay. It’s not for you.

There is something out there for everybody. And so I feel like internships, especially at Danaher, is a great way for you to really see where you thrive. Like what are some ways to like challenge yourself that you’ve never had to do excuse me before. And then when you win, how does it feel when you win? And like that’s what you want and that’s what you get every day. So that’s why I would say an internship at Danaher is a little bit different and unique. It’s just because there’s so many moving pieces and it’s not just about learning and it’s a lot and it’s intense, but it’s so much fun and it’s so rewarding and you get to see your work and everybody in the organization is quick to say, okay, well, how can we help? Not what did you do wrong? Which is also another comforting piece when you mess up. They encourage the mistakes because you can only get better from there.

Parker Pell: This has been so fun to learn about Danaher’s early ID and internship program, Taina. And just I just love the passion that I can hear in your voice throughout the conversation. Now I want to close out the show for our audience. I’m sure that’s intrigued. Where can students find Danaher’s open roles for either program, your early ID or your intern program?

Taina Adovelande: Yeah, good question. So it’s on the Danaher corporate website. Just click on careers, early career talents from the drop down menu and then you’ll be able to see a jump ID program or internship program, excuse me, as well as any other open opportunity that we have across the organization. So in corporate and or in one of the supporting operating companies.

Parker Pell: Go and check them out. Taina, thank you so much again for the time today. We appreciate it.

Taina Adovelande: Thank you, Parker. Thank you, everyone. Have a great day.

Parker Pell: What a fun conversation with Taina to learn about Danaher’s early ID and intern programs. I definitely recommend go and check them out. Stay tuned for the next episode of the internship show and have a great day.

July 2, 2025
Associates Making a Difference: Supporting the Greater Chicago Food Depository

This article was originally published on December 19, 2024 on myGwork.com.

At Danaher, we believe in improving lives and our planet. This includes not just innovating products, but giving back to the communities where we live, work and visit. This commitment to improving lives and our planet is at the core of the community impact work that we do company-wide.

Each year, we have the pleasure of supporting our communities globally through volunteerism, team grants, donations and gift matching – and last month, this commitment to community impact led us to support the Greater Chicago Food Depository during a trip to Chicago for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) conference. It was an unforgettable experience that helped combat hunger, strengthened our team’s bond and reinforced our company values.

An Inspirational Mission

The Greater Chicago Food Depository offers hope for individuals and families facing food insecurity. It partners with a vast network of over 800 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and programs in the Chicago and Cook County area. Their work extends to providing food and resources for vulnerable groups such as youth, older adults, veterans, and those served through community health centers. When we learned about the Depository’s impactful mission, the decision to get involved was an easy one! Hunger is a widespread issue affecting millions across the nation, and by contributing to the Depository’s efforts, we had the opportunity to address this challenge directly and tangibly.

As part of our visit to Chicago for the SWE conference, our team dedicated time to volunteer at the Food Depository’s warehouse. Over the course of the day, we packed crates of fresh fruit—items that would soon make their way to families and individuals in need.

The act of working side by side with colleagues, sorting and packing food that could brighten someone’s day, reminded us of the power of collective action. Knowing that our efforts would contribute to healthier meals and improved well-being for those struggling with hunger was incredibly rewarding and inspiring.

Why Community Impact Matters

Supporting the Greater Chicago Food Depository wasn’t just an act of charity—it reflected our company’s dedication to drive positive change. Community impact is one of our guiding principles because we recognize that businesses thrive when the communities around them do too.

Volunteer activities like this foster empathy, strengthen social bonds, and promote a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by others. Hunger is an issue that touches every demographic and community. By addressing it directly through volunteer efforts like these, we help pave the way for a more equitable society.

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Continuing the Journey

Our day at the Greater Chicago Food Depository was just one event in our ongoing commitment to community impact. We left Chicago with new professional insights and wins from the SWE conference, but also with a renewed appreciation for the importance of giving back. We are proud to have supported the Greater Chicago Food Depository and look forward to future opportunities to partner with organizations that share our vision for a better, more equitable world.

April 7, 2025
Succeeding in a STEM Career: Logan Haller Shares Her Journey and Advice
4-minute read

Long before Logan Haller joined Danaher, she was simply a high school student who loved science. Her passion grew with every science fair, student competition and research class—ultimately solidifying her career path.

Finding her focus in public health

During her undergrad work at the University of Florida, Logan honed her focus in microbiology and went on to earn a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) from the University of South Florida. Her public health studies sought to understand and address the broader implications of infectious diseases on communities and populations.

After graduate school, she spent the next 15 years at two not-for-profit contract research organizations (Southern Research Institute and MRIGlobal) where she tested early-in-development vaccines and therapeutics for preventing and treating infectious diseases. While she found the work interesting, she yearned for more.

She pursued her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification to help transition from the lab bench to a study director role and she began seeking new opportunities.

Discovering her place at Danaher

“I had the desire to get closer to patients and make more of a patient impact,” she said. “I was also very curious about the commercial side and wanted to explore the other half of the equation. Danaher, comprised of many different businesses in the Diagnostics and Life Sciences space, offered those opportunities.”

The organization’s commitment to precision medicine and innovative diagnostics was another draw.

“Danaher’s focus on creating tools and technologies that enable healthcare providers to diagnose diseases with unprecedented speed and accuracy aligned perfectly with my goal of making a tangible difference on public health,” she said.

In 2019, Logan joined Danaher company, Beckman Coulter, as a Senior Program Manager, managing hematology projects. It was a great way to leverage her PMP certification, but she still felt a piece was missing. Three years later, seeking to delve deeper into scientific innovation, she took a role with Danaher’s Diagnostics platform (a collective six diagnostics businesses), where she now focuses on clinical alliances and incubation.

Hear more from Logan about working on the cutting edge of diagnostic innovations

Innovative work that’s making an impact

“In my current role as Senior Manager, Clinical Alliances and Incubation, I serve as the connective tissue between Danaher operating companies, continually asking questions like, ‘How can we collaborate and facilitate more innovation?’ and ‘Is there a better approach?’”, she explained. “A significant part of my role is to question the status quo. This critical thinking helps us uncover underlying issues and opportunities for improvement.”

“Once we have a clear understanding of the challenges, I work to identify gaps and seek ways to support the unmet need,” she said. “I play a key role in facilitating innovation by bringing together cross-functional teams and fostering a collaborative environment. By supporting the ideation and incubation of scientific beacons, I’m able to de-risk future indications of new, emerging technologies and contribute to public health on a larger scale.”

Reflecting on her STEM journey: Logan’s advice

At first, Logan found it challenging to navigate the industry, but fortunately, she connected with a tremendous resource during her time at Southern Research Institute. “I had the most unbelievable mentor that took me under her wing and showed me how to be confident,” said Logan. “Things I initially considered challenges soon became opportunities for growth and learning.”

Beyond the power of mentoring, Logan has learned many other valuable lessons that have helped advance her career.
- Believe in yourself. Confidence is key. Trust in your abilities and knowledge, and don’t be afraid to voice your ideas and opinions.
- Seek mentorship. Find mentors who can provide guidance, support and advice. Mentors can help you navigate your career path and open doors to new opportunities. Also, be a mentor for others. Give back, knowing that everyone is in this together.
- Network actively. Build a strong professional network. Attend conferences, join professional organizations, and connect with peers in your field. Networking can lead to collaborations and career advancements.
- Embrace challenges. View challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Don’t be discouraged by setbacks; instead, use them as stepping-stones to success. Stay curious and keep learning.
Logan Haller
Logan’s love for science started at an early age. In high school she competed frequently in science fairs.
Logan at Danaher’s Excellence in Innovation (EII) Awards. The EII program embodies our commitment to innovation with impact. Each year, selection committees of experts and innovators from each of our diagnostics businesses evaluate project submissions and bestow 20 with a prestigious EII award.
Logan and her family love exploring new places and taking new adventures. Last summer, they enjoyed time in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Enjoying the Danaher difference

Based on Logan’s nearly six years here, she’s quick to recommend Danaher and its businesses to others seeking impactful work.

“Danaher fosters a culture where new ideas are encouraged and supported, making it an exciting place for those who are passionate about pushing the boundaries of science and technology and want to think outside the box,” she said. “Danaher has allowed me to find my passion and discover a unique path where science, innovation, and program management intersect.”

A bright future at Danaher awaits

Looking ahead, Logan is excited about the opportunities before her.

“I envision myself in roles that continually challenge me to think outside the box, assemble disparate puzzle pieces, and synthesize scientific and innovative ideas,” she said. “I thrive in collaborative environments and am eager to work with dynamic teams to drive impactful solutions that improve patient lives.”

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March 25, 2025
Meet Danaher’s Chief Technology and AI Officer

We spoke with Martin Stumpe, PhD, Danaher’s newly appointed Chief Technology and AI Officer, about the future of AI in healthcare and life sciences.

Martin Stumpe has built a career around imagining and building new technology to solve complex human problems. He’s served as the Chief of AI at precision medicine company Tempus, founded and led Google’s Cancer Pathology project, contributed exoplanet-detecting algorithms to NASA’s Kepler mission, and worked at Stanford University on protein folding simulations.

Now, Martin is stepping into his latest role as the Chief Technology & Artificial Intelligence Officer at Danaher, where he leads the company’s AI strategy, capability development and execution. We spoke with Martin about his first several months at Danaher, his vision for what AI can do to power the future of healthcare and life sciences, and how he plans to turn those visions into reality.

What compelled you to join the Danaher team?

Simply put: the opportunity for immense impact on healthcare. My background is as a technologist but I have always been interested in healthcare and life sciences. Perhaps nowhere else is there such tremendous potential for good data, well used, to make our systems run smarter and to make us all healthier. Danaher’s exceptional portfolio of companies across diagnostics, life sciences and bioprocessing is an immense platform for positive impact on human health and lives. We have the devices, the global install base and the assays, plus the world-class operational excellence, to make one of the most meaningful plays in the healthcare space when powered by the right technology. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to make that vision real.

What are the unique challenges in applying AI to healthcare and life science?

AI cannot solve problems in a vacuum. In order to develop AI and impact in the real world, many factors need to be considered. This includes creating the right data that is of the quality and quantity to be fit-for-purpose for AI.

Similarly, the outputs of AI need to be integrated back into the real world, via thoughtful integration into workflows, products, and human processes. In healthcare and life sciences, additional challenges such as regulatory processes, reimbursement, and legacy systems have to be overcome. Consequently, there are a lot of medical AI algorithms out there that aren’t getting used, and a lot of datasets that aren’t being leveraged. We are starting with the end in mind and take a holistic approach to building and leveraging AI towards real impact. This also includes building the organizational readiness and change management infrastructures to make end-to-end integration feasible.

Where do you see the greatest promise for building out Danaher’s AI capabilities?

There are several areas where we are working on using AI to improve productivity or products across Danaher. To name a few representative examples that we are quite focused on at the moment:

Danaher has a large portfolio of imaging instruments across life sciences and diagnostics. With modern computer vision and multimodal AI, we have the opportunity to increase the insights users of our instruments are getting from these devices. This includes more accurate image analysis, and contextualization of image data with non-imaging modalities to, as one example, achieve a multimodal understanding of the spatial and molecular features of the tumor microenvironment. This can lead to actionable insights for the development or application of immunotherapy in various cancers. In the life sciences, similar insights can help to shed light onto drug mechanisms of action for further improvement.

Another area where we see tremendous potential is leveraging in silico approaches to design and optimize molecules, such as ligands with higher affinity in chromatography or more stable mRNA, or antibodies with specific properties in diagnostic applications. This is also an area where the integration between AI and the wet lab validation in the real world needs to be well designed, in order to facilitate a tight feedback cycle for rapid iteration. Ultimately this will help reduce the time to market and cost of designing new drugs – especially advanced therapies – and set the stage for automated yet personalized drug development.

Last but certainly not least is how Danaher uses AI to run more smoothly as an organization. We already see many examples of how AI can increase productivity in our everyday lives – such as information retrieval and synthesis, data analysis, or content creation. We see a lot of opportunities across Danaher to bring similar powerful tools into workflows across many areas to assist our associates with various administrative tasks. Not surprisingly, having high-quality and connected data is a key requirement to unlock the true potential, so we are investing into this area to maximize the impact we will achieve.

What are the biggest risks your work faces?

Truly transformative technologies solve entire problem classes for humanity. The internet “solved” information access. Cell phones “solved” communication. AI has that same potential in healthcare and life sciences – but we need to think at just the right scale. If we choose only small problems to solve, we will achieve only incremental change. If we think too big, we risk getting lost in an infinite number of opportunities – some of which might even be solutions to problems that don’t really exist or have meaningful impact on people’s lives. So we need to be incredibly thoughtful about how we set boundaries on the problems we solve. Think big, but track progress along the way and adjust where necessary.

What’s your first step?

My first focus is our people power. This means building up our talent pool, both by nurturing internal talent and looking beyond our walls for people to bring in as employees and collaborators. We already have a robust program of collaboration through our Beacons program, which continues to be a fruitful source of brilliant ideas. There are other areas where we are making significant investments in building out our AI capabilities, including in data and in infrastructure for AI. And I’m looking forward to our Danaher Summit – this year focused on AI’s role in predictive R&D – and its ability to gather experts across the entire ecosystem, from academia through industry and beyond.

What inspires you most about being at Danaher?

I have been consistently impressed by the people at Danaher. The culture here emphasizes continuous growth, humility, and mission-driven teamwork, which is a crucial foundation for the challenging and important work we have ahead of us. I am enthusiastic about driving real impact with this fantastic team.

Ready to bring more to life at Danaher?

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November 18, 2024
5 Reasons to Work at Danaher

At Danaher, our work saves lives.

And each of us plays a part. Fueled by our culture of continuous improvement, we turn ideas into impact – delivering innovation at the speed of life.

Solve the toughest challenges

Achieve more every day in a culture of continuous improvement to take your career to the next level. High performers belong at a company that can live up to their standards. When you join Danaher, our unique way of working will challenge and inspire you. With access to an ever-evolving portfolio of best practices and know-how, you will quickly move from aspiration to results.

Join a winning team

Excel in a collaborative environment where leading minds come together to drive impact. Count on Danaher’s support, resources and best practices while having the autonomy to lead and contribute to talented teams and businesses. Collaborate with teammates around the world who share a collective goal to improve human health.

Make a real difference

Help our customers improve quality of life around the world—for a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow. At Danaher, you’ll innovate to help customers solve their most complex challenges—our combined impact on human health is the measure of our success. You’ll join a group of leading businesses, each with unique missions and challenges, yet unified by a shared ambition to accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology.

You belong here

Bring your authentic self to Danaher, where you and your unique viewpoint matter. You’re coming to Danaher and our operating companies with a story, and we want to hear it and learn from it. Here, we embrace unique viewpoints—they strengthen our teams and lead to innovative solutions, breakthrough thinking and winning businesses. We believe that when you can be yourself at work, there’s no limit to the impact you can make.

Accelerate your potential

Grow at the pace of your aspirations at a leading science and technology company, where your expertise drives breakthrough thinking and innovative solutions. Build an incredible career across high-impact science and technology industries, spanning Danaher’s global portfolio of leading businesses.

Ready to drive innovation at the speed of life?

Visit jobs.danaher.com.

October 11, 2024
How Stretching Outside My Comfort Zone Has Paved My Leadership Development Path at Danaher

The collective talent of our people propels Danaher’s success. Your talent is our most essential resource, and it’s also your greatest opportunity—which is why we are so intentional about developing it. From the moment our associates arrive at Danaher, they are surrounded by supportive colleagues and encouraged to take advantage of learning and development resources that will hone the skills they bring to the table and challenge them to discover new strengths. From the Danaher Business System to leadership training to proven growth tracks, our L&D programs ensure that whatever your career dreams, we can help you achieve them. The stories in this series will show you how.

Michelle Gao, Director of Talent Development

From day one at Danaher, I’ve been asked, “Hey, Michelle, do you have a thought on this?” At the beginning, I’d say, “Nope, just listening. I’m fine.” But then, at some point, I realized I had become someone who was able to say, “You know what? Yes, I do have an opinion here. Based on my experience, I think we need to consider this.”

In my eight years with Danaher, I’ve learned firsthand that stretching outside your comfort zone leads to growth, and this learning has become a vital part of my approach to developing leaders. At Danaher, it’s easy to find the stretch. There are always new things to explore—Danaher Business System (DBS) tools, an Operating Company (OpCo) in an industry you know nothing about, or dreaming up ways to make things better. And the culture encourages everyone to chime in, just as I learned to do.

My progression through Danaher has been a balance of staying open-minded to new experiences and sticking to my passions. I joined Danaher straight out of my Human Resources and Industrial Relations graduate program, which I completed after earning an undergraduate degree in Accounting, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

During this time, I discovered how much I love leadership development through working with the University Leadership Counseling centers. I knew that I had found my passion, and ultimately what I wanted to drive my career towards. However, in my first role at Danaher, I was placed in a compensation role. It made sense with my accounting background, but I fully expected to hate it. I soon realized that compensation is about a lot more than just how much people are paid, and it’s equal parts art and science. Danaher invested in me by sending me to compensation courses to learn the fundamentals of total rewards and job classification—knowledge that has served me in every subsequent role. I also started to understand Danaher’s scope and complexity, and how everything fits together.

My next role was as an HR business partner at Videojet—one of our OpCos in the Product Identification platform—supporting the vice presidents of Global Operations and Global Supply Chain. It still wasn’t where I thought I wanted to be, but I ended up falling in love with the role and the work. Being at Videojet taught me what it is to truly partner with your client groups to move a strategy forward, and how to trust my fellow HR colleagues with my life. Then, in 2017, I moved to Danaher Corporate, where I’ve had roles of increasing responsibility in Leadership Development and Learning. I was promoted last November to lead the team focusing on executive Leadership Development programs.

Throughout the years and across all of these roles, I’ve had amazing leaders who gave me the space to grow through development opportunities. They helped me find the balance between trying something new and narrowing in on where my passion lies. They’ve given me the chance to stretch beyond what I thought I was ready for by trusting me, letting me stumble, giving me the feedback I needed, and always having my back. Recently, I was asked to act as the project manager on a strategy development process that brought together the Danaher Business System Office and the Corporate Talent Management team. Talk about high-stakes work, and unprecedented visibility—both to our most senior leaders and to the direction of the company! I spent all four months of this project second-guessing myself as I tried my best to get it done.

The thing is, if you’re doing it right, development is not always fun and can often feel like an uncomfortable stretch. When you have an assignment that takes you out of your comfort zone, there can be a lot of insecurity that comes with it. It can also be pretty emotional to be introspective and reflect on your personal derailers that affect the way you lead or contribute to a team. But without these experiences and subsequent reflections, growth happens at a much slower pace.

The thing is, if you’re doing it right, development is not always fun and can often feel like an uncomfortable stretch.
Michelle Gao

I’ve grown my confidence at Danaher by giving it my all, having the right leaders advocate for me, learning our businesses and DBS, and saying yes when someone asked if I wanted to do more. I’ve also been a little lucky with being ready for the next right thing at the right time. Even though I have been willing to try something new, I have often gone in with a feeling of trepidation. But at every turn, I’ve had fun and learned more than I could have imagined. When I mentor interns and other associates now, my advice is to stay open to opportunity. You may have an idea of what you are passionate about, but there are other experiences you just haven’t encountered yet. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t change a thing about my own journey—it’s shaped me into who I am today and how I approach the work that I do.

Ready to take the next step towards growing your career? Explore our open jobs or join our talent community to get started!

December 16, 2022
Building an Inclusive Future

STEM Recruiter Keithen Stallings springs out of bed every day at 4:30 a.m. Even with the early start, the East St. Louis, Illinois, native knows there aren’t enough hours in the day to help everyone he wants to support, but he’ll do his best with the time he has.

Stallings is energized by the potential of the next generation—the people he recruits for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) roles through Danaher’s University Recruiting program as well as those he mentors as Founder and President of The Access Foundation and as President of 100 Black Men of St. Louis. Whether he’s supporting underprivileged kids in STEM education or mentoring local adults, Stallings remains focused on reaching as many people as possible, driving inclusion in STEM, and maximizing his impact.

As Stallings puts it: “I believe that what people see is what they’ll be, so I try to be the best version of myself and inspire others to do the same.”

Charting a Course

Growing up in East St. Louis, Stallings attended a public school among poverty-stricken neighborhoods. While he had a lot of great teachers, there were many obstacles and a lack of resources in the schools and community. He credits his mom, a single parent who worked several jobs while raising three boys on her own, for his work ethic and leadership skills.

“When I was growing up, you really had to be intentional about the choices you made and the path you took. I needed to have a plan to graduate from high school, to go to college, and to do something better than what I’d seen around me. I was blessed to have my mom and older brother—two people who guided me in the right direction,” says Stallings.

After graduating from Illinois State University—the first in his family to earn a college degree—Stallings continued to chart a course for his future. He returned to his community to help others fulfill their own potential.

In 2017, Stallings’ sense of duty and passion for helping others inspired him to found The Access Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to providing kids with access to education and STEM resources. Stallings draws on his own background to coach students from kindergarten through high school and into college. “A lot of these kids are in situations that they don’t know how to handle. They need encouragement to realize their potential,” he says. In 2019 alone, 1,200 kids participated in the Access Foundation’s leadership academies and other events.

Stallings is fueled by encouragement and gratitude from the students he mentors and their parents. “Sometimes I don’t realize the impact I’m having until I hear it from someone else,” Stallings says. Recently, a mentee texted Stallings about earning a 3.5 GPA. And the mother of a mentee, whom Stallings had mentored for five years, thanked him on Facebook; her son had just been awarded Mentee of the Year by the 100 Black Men of St. Louis, and Stallings had presented the honor himself. The mother shared that Stallings took her son to his first Rams game in 2014 and praised him for “showing up” when her son needed it most.

Colleagues at Danaher appreciate Stallings’ contributions and feel inspired by his dedication to making an impact. “As people leaders, we have a responsibility to create an environment where associates can bring their whole selves to work,” says Nicole Wormley, Director of Talent Branding and University Recruitment. “Keithen’s commitment to St. Louis is a part of who he is. I’m so proud of his accomplishments for Danaher, and I’m equally proud of the many ways he contributes to his community.”

An Opportunity for Impact

Stallings has worked as a university recruiter for nearly two decades—and when he saw the chance to lead STEM recruitment at the university level for Danaher, he seized the opportunity to impact STEM recruiting and inclusion initiatives on a national scale.

Stallings was impressed by Danaher’s focus on continuous improvement. “ I knew I could come here and be successful,” he says. “Danaher provides me with the flexibility to build programs like the STEM Ideas Program,” which offers new grads an in-depth, fast-track path to STEM leadership. “Even though I’m in my first year,” Stallings says, “I’ve been encouraged to make the changes to the program that I thought were needed. We’re always focused on making things better.”

Right now he’s focused on a biomedical engineering initiative, traveling to colleges around the country to promote Danaher’s rotation program and to teach students about high-visibility, fast-track positions at Danaher. Stallings views his job as equal parts recruiter and coach, and says he spends a lot of time reminding students of their capabilities.

“The ways students work today will simply blow the minds of the average employee,” Stallings says. “I remind the students I meet that they’re at the cutting-edge of technology and they should take full advantage of it. But how they show up is important, too. I tell them to practice speaking with friends and to practice in the mirror. Every interaction they have is part of the interview process. Every conversation matters. I encourage them to bring everything they have to the table,” he says.

Pursuing a More Inclusive Future

Today’s students grew up with technology at their fingertips, and it’s their skills and potential that give Stallings hope for the future. While he’s seen great progress since he started his career, there’s more work to be done to drive equity in opportunities, especially in underprivileged communities and for people of color, Stallings says. The lack of resources in certain communities and the increasingly high cost of education and student debt remain barriers to inclusivity in STEM fields.

But Stallings sees glimmers of hope for kids who might not have the opportunity or financial resources to take traditional paths from high school to college to the workforce. He works with LaunchCode, an organization that offers free training for technology jobs in major cities around the U.S. And through the 100 Black Men’s Youth Ambassador program, students aged 8 to 18 complete a curriculum focused on conflict resolution, problem-solving, and goal-setting.

On the Access Foundation’s “Super STEM Saturdays,” Stallings takes high school students to local colleges to teach them the steps to get into college—and to show the reality of the possibilities in front of them. “Lots of students don’t have that foundation or a guide to let them know what it takes to get into college,” he says. “It’s a multi-year process. You can’t wait until your senior year to decide you want to go.”

At Danaher, recruiters cast a wide net in hopes of finding candidates from a range of backgrounds and communities. When Stallings attends career fairs and hackathons, he focuses on skills and potential, not credentials or appearances. “We have to recognize that some of the traditional methods of recruitment may not work with the new generation. We need to play in their space and to make them comfortable being who they are,” he says.

Committed to a Life of Influence

If his own life is any indication, the students that Stallings mentors have a real chance to accomplish anything they set their minds to.

“I think every person is put on earth to make it just a little bit better, every employee should have that same mentality. The work we do at Danaher naturally has a great impact. Everyone who joins gets a chance to contribute to Danaher’s larger purpose.”

While he hasn’t found a way to add more hours to the day, Stallings is determined to squeeze the most out of each one. “My work doesn’t have boundaries. I try to help as many people as possible, professionally and personally.”

Interested in joining Keithen Stallings and the rest of the Danaher team? Check out open roles or join our early careers talent community today.

February 27, 2020