8-K

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 10, 2020

THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

168 Third Avenue

Waltham, Massachusetts 02451

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (781) 622-1000

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐      Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐      Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐      Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.                                 ☐  Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC.

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On September 10, 2020, Peter Hornstra, Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (the “Company”), notified the Company that he will retire effective March 31, 2021.

Also on September 10, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company elected Joseph Holmes, 41, currently Senior Director of Technical Accounting, to the position of Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of the Company, effective March 31, 2021. Mr. Holmes joined Thermo Fisher in his current role in June 2017 and leads a team that provides a broad range of accounting and finance counsel to the Company’s global finance team. Previously, Mr. Holmes served as Director, Technical Accounting and Reporting at St. Jude Medical, where his responsibilities included oversite of technical accounting, SEC reporting and internal controls, from June 2014 to January 2017, when it was acquired by Abbott Laboratories (“Abbott”), and then continued to serve in that position at Abbott from January 2017 to June 2017.

THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

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