Robert Friel New PerkinElmer President and COO

Robert F. Friel is PerkinElmer Inc.'s president and chief operating officer as of today, the company announced. He is expected to be elected CEO in February, when Greg Summe -- who Friel succeeds as president -- will become executive chairman of the board until the April 2009 annual shareholders meeting, the company said. Friel, who joined the Waltham, Mass., provider of digital imaging, specialty lighting and sensor technologies in 1999 as its chief financial officer, was appointed vice chairman, director of the company, and president of the Life and Analytical Sciences (LAS) business in 2006. In his new role, he will be responsible for the LAS and Optoelectronics businesses. John Roush will continue to to be president of the Optoelectronics business. PerkinElmer said it does not intend to fill the LAS president position. Summe joined the company in January 1998 as president, COO and director and became CEO in January 1999. He was elected chairman in April 1999.