Mr Shanahan is the former president of Colgate-Palmolive Company and currently serves on the board of directors of Visa, Diageo and MSD Ignition, a privately held company. Mr Shanahan has received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College.
Greg Lucier, chairman and CEO of Life Technologies, said: “Bill brings a wealth of global business and governance expertise to Life Technologies. In particular, his vast experience in sales and marketing with one of the world’s most well-known brands will be invaluable as we work to better understand and serve our customers.
“His service on the boards of other prestigious companies will also provide good stewardship to the company. I welcome Bill to the board and look forward to working with him to position Life Technologies for even greater success.”