(Reuters) - Allergan Plc's (>> Allergan, Inc.) Chief Executive Brent Saunders will be second in command at the world's largest drug maker, after he made the biggest bet of his career by selling his company for a record $160 billion to Pfizer Inc (>> Pfizer Inc.).

Saunders, 45, an intrepid deal maker, has a history of eventually leading companies that he had helped combine.

For a timeline on Saunders' career:

1995-1997: Co-founds Healthcare Compliance Association, a company that provides consultation for healthcare providers.

Serves as Chief Compliance Officer at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital until 1997.

1998-1999: Chief Compliance Officer at Coventry Health Care.

1999-2003: Heads PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC's compliance business advisory.

2003-2009: Joins Schering-Plough in 2003 and heads its Global Consumer Healthcare unit. Credited with turning the company around before its sale to Merck & Co (>> Merck & Co., Inc.) in 2009.

2010-2013: Helms Bausch+Lomb, his first job as CEO. Sells company for $8.4 billion to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (>> Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc) (>> Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc).

2013-2014: Named CEO of Forest Laboratories Inc. Instrumental in a $25 billion bid from Actavis Plc within six months into the job.

July 2014-present - Replaces Paul Bisaro as Actavis CEO. Outbids Valeant Pharmaceuticals and buys Botox-maker Allergan.

After changing the company's name to Allergan earlier this year, Saunders sells generic drugmaking business to Israeli drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (>> Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited) for $40.5 billion.

[Source: Saunders' LinkedIn profile, Reuters data and company press releases]

(Reporting by Vidya L Nathan in Bengaluru, Editing by Anil D'Silva)