Merck appoints new executive board members
pharmafile | January 19, 2016 | Appointment | Manufacturing and Production, Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Merck
Merck has appointed two new members to its executive board: Udit Batra (45), head of the Life Science business sector, and Walter Galinat (59), head of the Performance Materials business sector. Both will take up their new positions on 30 April while retaining their previous business responsibilities.
Bernd Reckmann (60), currently the executive board member responsible for Life Science and Performance Materials, will retire following the company’s AGM on 29 April.
“During Bernd Reckmann’s term of office as the responsible Executive Board member, Merck built the Life Science business from modest beginnings, creating a global market leader. He also orchestrated the development of our Performance Materials business into a world-class technology and innovation powerhouse,” says Johannes Baillou, chairman of the board. “The owners of the company are grateful to Bernd Reckmann and thank him for his many years of untiring commitment and loyalty. We trust that with Udit Batra and Walter Galinat, the Merck success story will continue, especially since both executives have been superbly managing their respective businesses for multiple years.”
Walter Galinat joined Darmstadt-based Merck in 1976 as an apprentice. After earning a degree in Business Administration, in 1984 he moved to Taiwan, where he built up the local Merck subsidiary. He returned to Germany in 1994, became head of the Laboratory Products division, and in 1996 assumed the leadership of Eurolab, Merck’s former laboratory distribution business. He was appointed head of the former Liquid Crystals division in 2007 and became chief executive and president of today’s Performance Materials business sector in 2010.
Udit Batra was awarded a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and started his career at MSD in 1996. Prior to joining Merck, Batra worked for Novartis as head of Global Public Health and Market Access for Vaccines and Diagnostics, as global head of Corporate Strategy, and as country president of the pharmaceutical business in Australia. He joined Merck in 2011, taking over the leadership of the Consumer Health business. In March 2014, he was appointed chief executive and president of Merck Millipore, the Merck Life Science business.
Bernd Reckmann started his career at Merck in 1986 in Diagnostics research, took over functions in marketing and sales, and was head of the Life Science Products division from 1998 to 2004. Reckmann, who holds a PhD in biochemistry, then became responsible for strategic innovation projects, moved as managing director to Korea in 2005, and upon his return to Germany in 2007 was appointed to the executive board.
Over the past 10 years and under the leadership of Karl-Ludwig Kley, Merck has transformed itself from a classic, regionally focused supplier of pharmaceutical and chemicals into a global science and technology company. At the beginning of 2015, the company re-organised into three business sectors – Healthcare, Life Science und Performance Materials, and each business will now be directly represented on the executive board, following the new appointments.
As of 30 April, 2016, the Merck executive board will comprise the following members: Stefan Oschmann (chairman of the executive board and chief executive), Belén Garijo (chief executive Healthcare), Udit Batra (chief executive Life Science) and Walter Galinat (chief executive Performance Materials) as well as Kai Beckmann (chief administration officer) for Human Resources, and Marcus Kuhnert (chief financial officer).
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