FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) — General Electric Co. said Tuesday that it elected Bayer AG Chairman Marijn Dekkers to its board of directors.

Dekkers, 54, was elected Friday. He has been chairman of the German health care company's board since January 2010. GE said Dekkers is the 17th member of its board.

GE hired Dekkers as a scientist in 1985 and he worked for the company for 10 years. He later worked for Honeywell International Inc. and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. He is considered an independent director of GE, the company said.