Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany; www.merckgroup.com) has appointed Stefan Oschmannn as the new chairman of the executive board and chief executive officer (CEO). The appointment will take effect on April 29, 2016, at the end of the company’s annual general meeting. Oschmann will succeed Karl-Ludwig Kley, who will retire after nine years as head of Merck KGaA.
Stefan Oschman has been a member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA since 2011. He was initially in charge of the pharma business before being appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Deputy CEO at the beginning of 2015, responsible for strategy and innovation.
Prior to joining Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Stefan Oschmann worked for more than 20 years for the pharmaceutical company MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme (in the U.S.: Merck & Co.). He is president of the IFPMA(International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations) and vice president of EFPIA(European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations).