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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.9

                                  DADE BEHRING
                    2002 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER EQUITY PLAN

     1.   PURPOSE OF CEO PLAN. This Dade Behring 2002 Chief Executive Officer
Equity Plan (the "CEO PLAN") of Dade Behring Holdings, Inc. (the "COMPANY") is
designed to provide incentives to and reward past service of the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company on the Effective Date ("CEO") through awards of Common
Stock and grants of Options by the Company to the CEO.

     2.   DEFINITIONS. Certain terms used in this CEO Plan have the meanings set
forth in Appendix I.

     3.   GRANT OF OPTIONS.

     The Options granted under this CEO Plan shall be in such number and form
and upon such terms and conditions as set forth below:

     (a)  NUMBER OF OPTIONS. Options for Nine Hundred Eighty-Eight Thousand Two
          Hundred Forty (988,240) Option Shares shall be granted on the
          Effective Date. Options for Two Hundred Sixty-Eight Thousand Two
          Hundred Thirty (268,230) Option Shares shall be granted on the first
          anniversary of the Effective Date.

     (b)  OPTION PRICE. The Option exercise price per share ("Option Price") for
          each Option granted on the Effective Date shall be fourteen dollars
          seventy-two cents ($14.72). The Option Price for each Option granted
          on a date after the Effective Date shall be the lower of (i) ninety
          percent (90%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock at
          the date of grant of the Option or (ii) eighteen dollars forty cents
          ($18.40).

     (c)  EXERCISABILITY. The Options at each time set forth below will vest,
          and thus become exercisable with respect to the cumulative percentage
          of Option Shares set forth opposite such time if the CEO is, and has
          been, continuously employed by the Employer from the date of grant
          through such date:

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<Table>
<Caption>
                                                                                Cumulative Percentage
                                                                                of Options Exercisable
                                                           Time                       and Vested
     ------------------------------------   --------------------------------   ------------------------
     <S>                                    <C>                                          <C>
     Options Granted on Effective Date:     Earlier of (i) Effectiveness of
                                            S-8 Registration Statement or                 40%
                                            (ii) Ninety (90) Days after the
                                            Grant Date

     Options Granted on First Anniversary   Grant Date                                    40%
     of Effective Date:

     All Options:                           First Anniversary of Respective               60%
                                            Grant Date

     All Options:                           Second Anniversary of Respective              80%
                                            Grant Date

     All Options:                           Third Anniversary of Respective              100%
                                            Grant Date
</Table>

          Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, all Options of the
          CEO whose employment with the Employer is terminated by the Employer
          without Cause shall be fully vested and thus exercisable upon such
          termination of employment without Cause regardless of the time period
          since the grant of the Option.

          Furthermore, all Options will vest and become exercisable upon a
          Change in Control regardless of the time period since the Option
          grant.

          In addition to the other events of accelerated vesting set forth in
          this CEO Plan, if the CEO's employment with the Employer is terminated
          for Good Reason or due to the CEO's death or Disability prior to the
          full vesting of all Options, for purposes of determining the vesting
          and exercisability of Options, the CEO's termination of employment
          shall be treated as occurring on the next succeeding vesting date of
          the Option, entitling the CEO to an additional tranche of vesting (not
          to exceed an aggregate one hundred percent (100%) or be less than an
          aggregate sixty percent (60%)) with respect to the Option.

     (d)  EXPIRATION DATE. Vested and exercisable Options will expire on the
          earliest of (i) the twelve month anniversary of the CEO's termination
          of employment with the Employer, if the CEO dies or incurs a
          Disability while the Options are outstanding; (ii) if the CEO's
          termination of employment with the Employer occurs other than as a
          result of his death, Disability, or the Employer's termination of his
          employment for Cause, then on the ninetieth (90th) day after the CEO's
          Termination Date if the CEO has not died or incurred a Disability
          prior to such

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          ninetieth (90th) day; (iii) immediately upon the Employer's
          termination of the CEO's employment for Cause; (iv) the tenth
          anniversary of the date of grant, or (v) the date provided in
          Paragraph 6 below; provided that any portion of the Options which has
          not vested on or prior to the Termination Date or the date of death or
          Disability or the Employer's termination of the CEO's employment for
          Cause shall expire on the Termination Date or the date of death or
          Disability or termination of employment for Cause, as applicable and
          may not be exercised under any circumstance.

     (e)  VESTING OF OPTION SHARES. Option Shares shall be fully vested
          immediately upon exercise of the vested and exercisable Option to
          which such Option Shares were subject.

     (f)  PROCEDURE FOR EXERCISE. At any time after all or any portion of the
          Options have become vested and exercisable with respect to any Option
          Shares and prior to their expiration date (as described in Section
          3(d) above), the CEO may exercise all or a portion of such Options
          with respect to the Option Shares by providing notice of exercise to
          the Company or its designee in such manner designated by the Company
          together with payment in full. Payment may be made by delivery of (i)
          cash or its equivalent (e.g., by check), (ii) other shares of Common
          Stock (by either actual delivery of Common Stock or by attestation -
          presenting satisfactory proof of beneficial ownership of such Common
          Stock; provided such shares of Common Stock were held for at least six
          months (or such other period established by generally accepted
          accounting principles) if such shares were received under this CEO
          Plan or any other equity compensation plan of the Company) in the
          amount or value equal to the product of the Option Price multiplied by
          the number of Option Shares to be acquired plus the amount of any
          additional federal, state and local taxes required to be withheld by
          reason of the exercise of the Option, or (iii) partly as set forth in
          (i) and partly as set forth in (ii). Alternatively, if the Common
          Stock is listed on the Nasdaq stock market or a national securities
          exchange, payment of the Option Price multiplied by the number of
          Option Shares to be acquired plus the amount of any additional
          federal, state and local taxes required to be withheld may be made, to
          the extent permitted by law, by a "cashless exercise" through a third
          party.

     (g)  NONQUALIFIED OPTIONS. Options are not intended to be "incentive stock
          options" within the meaning of Section 422A of the Code.

     4.   AWARDS OF COMMON STOCK.

     (a)  EFFECTIVE DATE. An award of One Hundred Thirty Two Thousand (132,000)
          shares of Common Stock shall be granted to the CEO on the Effective
          Date.

     (b)  STABLE VALUE LISTING DATE. An award of Twenty-Three Thousand Three
          Hundred (23,300) shares of Common Stock shall be granted to the CEO on
          the Stable Value Listing Date provided the CEO did not voluntarily
          terminate employment

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          with the Employer prior to the Stable Value Listing Date and the CEO's
          employment with the Employer was not terminated for Cause prior to the
          Stable Value Listing Date.

     (c)  VESTED AWARDS. All awards of shares of Common Stock granted either on
          the Effective Date or Stable Value Listing Date shall be fully vested
          at the date of grant and not subject to any restrictions.

     5.   RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER. The CEO or his estate or heirs are entitled
to exercise the Options. The CEO may transfer Options to family members. For
this purpose the term "family member" includes any child, stepchild, grandchild,
parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew,
mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or
sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, any person sharing the CEO's
household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which these persons have
more than fifty percent of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these
persons (or the CEO) control the management of assets, and any other entity in
which these persons (or the CEO) own more than fifty percent of the voting
interests.

     6.   CHANGE IN CONTROL AND GUARANTEED OPTION GAIN. In connection with a
Change in Control, the Board will determine to what extent, if any, the Options
shall become cancelled subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:
(a) upon the consummation of the Change in Control, each holder of Option Shares
will receive the same form of consideration and the same portion of the
aggregate consideration that holders of such number of shares of Common Stock as
is equal to the number of Option Shares subject to the Options would have
received if such aggregate consideration had been distributed by the Company in
complete liquidation pursuant to the rights and preferences set forth in the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation as in effect immediately prior to such
Change in Control and (b) each holder of Options, whether or not vested and
exercisable, will be given a reasonable opportunity to exercise such rights
prior to the consummation of a Change in Control and participate in such Change
in Control as holders of Common Stock. Without limitation on the foregoing right
of the CEO to exercise Options prior to the Change in Control, the Board may,
but shall not be obligated to, make provision in connection with a Change in
Control for a cash payment to the CEO in consideration for the cancellation of
such Options which may equal the excess, if any, of the value of the
consideration to be paid in the transaction to holders of the same number of
shares of Common Stock subject to such Options (or if no consideration is paid
in any such transaction, the Fair Market Value of shares of Common Stock subject
to such Options) over the aggregate Option Price of such Options.

     In the event of a Change in Control within five years after the Effective
Date, the Company shall create a one-time cash bonus pool equal to twenty
million dollars ($20,000,000) (the "Bonus Pool"), which shall be paid upon the
Change in Control to the CEO on a ratable basis based on the CEO's share of
options granted under this CEO Plan and the Dade Behring 2002 Management Stock
Option Plan which are still outstanding immediately prior to the Change in
Control or in connection with the Change in Control; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the
Bonus Pool shall be reduced (but not below zero) by the aggregate amount of any
realized gain in such outstanding options upon the occurrence of a Change in
Control. For the avoidance of

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doubt, "realized gain" shall mean any gross (before-tax) proceeds received by
the CEO or participants in the Dade Behring 2002 Management Stock Option Plan
(in cash, stock, other property (other than any roll-over or substitute option),
or any combination thereof) in respect of such outstanding options in connection
with the Change in Control, reduced by any option exercise price paid.

     7.   SHARES OF COMMON STOCK. Shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant
to awards of shares of Common Stock or upon exercise of Options may be either
authorized and unissued shares, treasury shares, or a combination thereof as the
Board shall determine.

     8.   ADJUSTMENT FOR CHANGE IN COMMON STOCK. In the event of a
reorganization, recapitalization, stock split, stock dividend, spin-off,
combination, corporate exchange, merger, consolidation or other change in the
Common Stock or any distribution to shareholders of Common Stock other than
regular cash dividends or any transaction determined in good faith by the Board
to be similar to the foregoing, the Board shall make appropriate equitable
changes in the number and type of shares authorized by this CEO Plan, the number
and type of shares covered by outstanding Options and the Option Prices
specified therein and the number and type of shares covered by notices of awards
of Common Stock. Subject to Section 6, if the Company consolidates with or
merges into any entity or reclassifies or reorganizes its shares of Common
Stock, or if there shall occur any share exchange or other similar extraordinary
transaction, in each case pursuant to which all of the outstanding shares of
Common Stock are converted into, exchanged or otherwise transferred for, stock
or other securities, rights, options, assets, notes, cash or other property,
then the CEO shall have the right thereafter to receive, upon exercise of his
Options (at the same aggregate Option Price), the number of shares of stock and
other securities, rights, options, assets, notes, cash and other property to
which a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock into which the Option
could have been exercised immediately prior to such event (without regard to any
limitations on exercisability pursuant to this CEO Plan) would have been
entitled upon such transaction and the Company shall make lawful provision
therefor as a part of such consolidation, merger, reclassification,
reorganization, share exchange or other similar extraordinary transaction.

     9.   REGISTRATION. Upon the request of the CEO, the Company shall file and
cause to be effective on the Effective Date or as soon as practicable thereafter
(or such later time requested by the CEO) an S-8 Registration Statement for
Common Stock awarded and Option Shares pursuant to this CEO Plan. The CEO shall
have rights with respect to Common Stock awarded and Option Shares no less
favorable than those rights provided to Management Holders with respect to
Registrable Common Stock in the Registration Rights Agreement.

     10.  TAXES. The Company shall be entitled to withhold (or secure payment
from the CEO in lieu of withholding) the amount of any withholding or other tax
due from the CEO with respect to any amount payable and/or shares of Common
Stock issuable under this CEO Plan. The CEO may elect to pay a portion or all of
the minimum required withholding taxes by (a) delivery of shares of Common Stock
(provided such shares of Common Stock were held for at least six months (or such
other period established by generally accepted accounting principles) if such
shares were received under this CEO Plan or any other equity compensation plan
of the

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Company) or (b) having shares of Common Stock withheld by the Company from any
shares of Common Stock that would otherwise have been received by the CEO.

     11.  DELAWARE LAW TO GOVERN. This CEO Plan shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to
internal conflict rules.

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                                   APPENDIX I

     "BOARD" means the Company's board of directors.

     "CAUSE" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the Employment
Agreement.

     "CHANGE IN CONTROL" means, at any time following the consummation of the
Plan of Reorganization on the Effective Date, the occurrence of any of the
following:

     (a)  Any "Person" (having the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
          3(a)(9) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("1934
          Act") and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, including a
          "group" within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3)) has or acquires
          "Beneficial Ownership" (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the
          1934 Act) of fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power
          of the Company's then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote
          generally in the election of directors ("Voting Securities");
          provided, however, that in determining whether a Change in Control has
          occurred, Voting Securities which are held or acquired by the
          following: (i) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) an
          employee benefit plan (or a trust forming a part thereof) maintained
          by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (the persons or entities
          described in (i) and (ii) shall collectively be referred to as the
          "Excluded Group") or (iii) any underwriter (strictly in its capacity
          as underwriter) of an Initial Public Offering or initial purchaser
          (strictly in its capacity as initial purchaser) in an Rule 144A
          offering, shall not constitute a Change in Control.

     (b)  At any time during a period of two consecutive years, the individuals
          who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board (the
          "Incumbent Board") cease for any reason to constitute more than fifty
          percent (50%) of the Board; provided, however, that if the election,
          or nomination for election by the Company's stockholders, of any new
          director was approved by a vote of more than fifty percent (50%) of
          the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board, such new director
          shall, for purposes of this subsection (b), be considered as though
          such person were a member of the Incumbent Board; provided, further,
          however, that no individual shall be considered a member of the
          Incumbent Board if such individual initially assumed office as a
          result of (i) either an actual "Election Contest" (as described in the
          former Rule 14a-11 promulgated under the 1934 Act) or other actual
          solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other
          than the Incumbent Board (a "Proxy Contest"), or (ii) by reason of any
          agreement intended to avoid or settle any actual or threatened
          Election Contest or Proxy Contest.

     (c)  Immediately prior to a consummation of a merger, consolidation or
          reorganization or similar event involving the Company, whether in a
          single transaction or in a series of transactions ("Business
          Combination"), unless, following such Business Combination:

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          (i)     the Persons with Beneficial Ownership of the Company,
                  immediately before such Business Combination, have Beneficial
                  Ownership of more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined
                  voting power of the then outstanding voting securities
                  entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the
                  corporation (or in the election of a comparable governing body
                  of any other type of entity) resulting from such Business
                  Combination (including, without limitation, an entity which as
                  a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or
                  substantially all of the Company's assets either directly or
                  through one or more subsidiaries) (the "Surviving Company") in
                  substantially the same proportions as their Beneficial
                  Ownership of the Voting Securities immediately before such
                  Business Combination;

          (ii)    the individuals who were members of the Incumbent Board
                  immediately prior to the execution of the initial agreement
                  providing for such Business Combination constitute more than
                  fifty percent (50%) of the members of the board of directors
                  (or comparable governing body of a noncorporate entity) of the
                  Surviving Company; and

          (iii)   no Person (other than a member of the Excluded Group or any
                  Person who immediately prior to such Business Combination had
                  Beneficial Ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the
                  then Voting Securities) has Beneficial Ownership of fifty
                  percent (50%) or more of the then combined voting power of the
                  Surviving Company's then outstanding voting securities.

     (d)  Immediately prior to the assignment, sale, conveyance, transfer, lease
          or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the
          Company to any Person (other than a member of the Excluded Group)
          unless, immediately following such disposition, the conditions set
          forth in paragraph (c)(i), (ii) and (iii) above will be satisfied with
          respect to the entity which acquires such assets.

     (e)  Approval by the Company's stockholders of a liquidation or dissolution
          of the Company or the occurrence of a liquidation or dissolution of
          the Company.

     "CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as it may be amended from
time to time.

     "COMMON STOCK" means the Company's class of capital stock designed as
Common Stock, par value one cent ($0.01) per share, or, in the event that the
outstanding shares of Common Stock are after the Effective Date recapitalized,
converted into or exchanged for different stock or securities of the Company,
such other stock or securities.

     "DISABILITY" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the Employment
Agreement.

     "EFFECTIVE DATE" means the Effective Date as defined in the Plan of
Reorganization.

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     "EMPLOYER" means individually or collectively the Company or its
Subsidiaries.

     "EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT" means the amended and restated employment agreement
effective as of June 1, 2001 between the Company and James Reid-Anderson.

     "FAIR MARKET VALUE" of a share of Common Stock means on a given date (a) if
the principal market for the Common Stock is the Nasdaq stock market, a national
securities exchange or other recognized national market or service reporting
sales, the mean between the highest and lowest reported sale prices of a share
of Common Stock on the date of the determination on the principal market on
which the Common Stock is then listed or admitted to trading, (b) if the Common
Stock is not listed on the Nasdaq stock market, a national securities exchange
or other recognized national market or service reporting sales, the mean between
the closing high bid and low asked prices of a share of Common Stock on the date
of the determination as reported by the system then regarded as the most
reliable source of such quotations, (c) if the Common Stock is listed on a
domestic stock exchange or market or quoted in a domestic market or service, but
there are not reported sales or quotations, as the case may be, on the given
date, the value determined pursuant to (a) or (b) above using the reported sale
prices or quotations on the last previous day on which so reported or (d) if
none of the foregoing clauses apply, the fair market value of a share of Common
Stock without discounts as determined in good faith by the Board and stated in
writing in a notice delivered to the holders of the Common Stock involved.

     "GOOD REASON" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the
Employment Agreement.

     "MANAGEMENT HOLDERS" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the
Registration Rights Agreement.

     "OPTION" means any option enabling the holder thereof to purchase any class
of Common Stock from the Company granted pursuant to the provisions of this CEO
Plan.

     "OPTION SHARES" means Common Stock issuable to the CEO upon exercise of any
Options granted hereunder.

     "PLAN OF REORGANIZATION" means the plan of reorganization of the Company
approved by the bankruptcy court in 2002.

     "REGISTRABLE COMMON STOCK" shall have the meaning assigned to such term in
the Registration Rights Agreement.

     "REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT" means the Registration Rights Agreement
attached as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company's Form 10 Registration Statement.

     "STABLE VALUE LISTING DATE" means the earliest of (a) the day after the
date the following two events occur: (i) the Common Stock is listed on the
Nasdaq stock market (or if the Company is unable within a commercially
reasonable time to cause the Common Stock to be so listed on the Nasdaq stock
market and the Board or shareholders decide to list or cause to be traded or

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quoted the Common Stock on an alternative exchange or service, such listing,
trading or quoting shall meet the requirements of this subsection (i)), and (ii)
thereafter, the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock for ten (10) consecutive
business days equaled or exceeded fourteen dollars seventy-two cents ($14.72);
(b) a Change in Control; (c) the one hundred twentieth (120th) day after the
Effective Date if the Board by the ninetieth (90th) day after the Effective Date
has not authorized the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the executive
management team to use their commercially reasonable efforts to have the Common
Stock listed, traded or quoted on the Nasdaq stock market or other alternative
exchange or service, or (d) the date after the first anniversary of the
Effective Date the Board, in its discretion, approves the issuance of Seventy
Thousand Five Hundred Eighty-Eight (70,588) shares of Common Stock to the Chief
Executive Officer and the executive management team.

     "SUBSIDIARY" shall mean (a) any corporation of which the outstanding equity
interests having at least a majority of votes entitled to be cast in the
election of the directors under ordinary circumstances shall at the time be
owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company or (b) any other type of business
entity of which at least a majority of the voting interest under ordinary
circumstances is at the time, directly or indirectly, owned by the Company.

     "TERMINATION DATE" means the date the CEO is no longer employed by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries other than because of death or Disability or
as a result of the Employer's termination of the CEO's employment for Cause.

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                           DADE BEHRING HOLDINGS, INC.
                    2002 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER EQUITY PLAN
                           ACCEPTANCE & ACKNOWLEDGMENT

To:  _______________________

     By signing this form and returning it to Dade Behring Holdings, Inc. (the
"Company") you confirm the existence and acceptance of the Award of shares of
the Company's Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Common Stock"), and
options to purchase a total of _________ shares of the Company's Common Stock at
an exercise price of $_____ pursuant to the grant made on __________ pursuant to
the Company's 2002 Chief Executive Officer Equity Plan (the "CEO Plan"), a copy
of which is attached.

     You represent that when you exercise the Options (as defined in the CEO
Plan) you will be purchasing Common Stock for your own account and not on behalf
of others. You understand and acknowledge that federal and state securities laws
govern and restrict your right to offer, sell or otherwise dispose of any Common
Stock acquired pursuant to an Award or upon exercise of Options unless your
offer, sale or other disposition thereof is registered under the Securities Act
of 1933 and state securities laws or, in the opinion of the Company's counsel,
such offer, sale or other disposition is exempt from registration thereunder.
You agree that you will not offer, sell or otherwise dispose of any Common Stock
acquired pursuant to an Award or upon exercise of Options in any manner which
would violate or cause the Company to violate the Securities Act of 1933, the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or any other state or federal law.
You further understand that the certificates for any Common Stock acquired
pursuant to an Award or upon exercise of Options may bear such legends as the
Company deems necessary or desirable in connection with the Securities Act of
1933 or other rules, regulations or laws.

     By signing below and returning this form to the Company, you acknowledge
your full understanding of, and agreement with, all of the terms and conditions
of the CEO Plan as applied to your Awards, Options and any shares of Common
Stock issuable upon exercise of your Options and acknowledge the receipt of a
copy of the CEO Plan.

                                             Sincerely,

                                             Dade Behring Holdings, Inc.

                                             By:
                                                --------------------------------
                                             Its:

ACCEPTED AND ACKNOWLEDGED

---------------------------------
Name:

Date:
     ----------------------------

Please retain a copy of this form for your own records.