Rob Albert, a Lehigh Valley native who spent his entire career with B. Braun of America Inc., has announced his retirement as CEO of the medical and pharmaceutical device company.
The Nazareth Area High School graduate will step down after 42 years with the Bethlehem company. Michael Parden, managing director of B. Braun U.K., has been appointed CEO effective May 1.
“B. Braun has been a community and a mission,” Albert said. “I’m grateful for a meaningful 42‑year career and confident Michael will lead our organization forward.”
Jean-Claude Dubacher, chair of B. Braun of American, and Albert’s predecessor, said the company was grateful for his leadership.
“Rob has demonstrated B. Braun’s values and a commitment to improving patients’ lives,” Dubacher said.
Answering a classified jobs ad in The Morning Call, Albert joined Burron Medical Inc. in Bethlehem in 1984, just after graduating from Clairon University. A manufacturing business management major, Albert had some lofty career goals and at first didn’t plan to stay long at Burron, which at the time was a part of B. Braun Medical before it was fully absorbed in the early 1990s.
He told The Morning Call that the company’s culture, which consistently presented him with new opportunities, was the reason he remained for more than 40 years.
Albert took over as CEO in 2024 as the company was in the middle of investing in its Lehigh Valley footprint. The company put $200 million into its plant in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, in 2022, adding 310,000 square feet and hiring 200 more workers to bring its workforce in the Valley to around 2,000.
Last yea,r B. Braun said it would invest an additional $20 million to create 200 jobs at the plant near Lehigh Valley International Airport.
During the announcement in September, Albert said the company’s long history in the Valley made the decision to keep the expansion local an easy choice.
“We are growing in the Lehigh Valley and in Pennsylvania because we have a long history here of finding skilled workers, high-quality suppliers, training partners and a business environment that enables us to compete and win in the marketplace,” Albert said at a ceremony that was attended by Gov. Josh Shapiro, B. Braun employees and several Lehigh Valley officials. “The Lehigh Valley also has the quality of life and the culture we need to retain our talent. Our people love living and working here, and they love giving back.”
Parden brings extensive experience in sales, marketing, operations and production, and will relocate to the Lehigh Valley with his family.
“Michael’s operational expertise and collaborative leadership will strengthen our position in the North American market,” Dubacher said.