3M announced Tuesday that it appointed William M. "Bill" Brown as the company's new chief executive officer, effective May 1.
Brown succeeds Michael Roman, who was appointed to the role of executive chairman of the 3M board of directors, also effective May 1.
Brown, 61, is the former chairman and CEO of L3Harris Technologies, a company that provides aerospace and defense technology solutions. He served as CEO and chairman, and then as executive chairman, from June 2019 to June 2022.
Brown previously served as chairman, president and CEO of Harris Corporation prior to its merger with L3 Technologies in 2019. He joined Harris Corporation in November 2011 as president and CEO. Prior to Harris, Brown spent 14 years at United Technologies Corporation, serving in a variety of leadership roles.
Brown holds bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Villanova University, as well as an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the former chair of the Aerospace Industries Association board of governors and formerly a member of AIA's executive committee.
Roman will continue to chair 3M's board and provide insights from his more than 35 years with 3M to the company's strategic direction as executive chairman. He has served as 3M's CEO since July 2018.
3M also announced that the board of directors waived the mandatory retirement age of 65 years for Roman and Brown.
