Merck KGaA announces appointment of new chairman

Merck KGaA has announced the appointment of Dr Karl-Ludwig Kley as chairman of the executive board of the firm. Dr Kley, who will replace Dr Michael Roemer in the role at the company’s general meeting on April 27th 2007, has been vice-chairman of the board since September 1st 2006.

Dr Kley was chairman of the integration of the steering committee responsible for the integration process at Merck Serono, in addition to being the chairman of Human Resources. Before joining the company, he was previously chief financial officer at Deutsche Lufthansa.

Dr Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, chairman of the board of partners of E Merck OHG, said: “Merck has changed considerably in recent years; Dr Kley will ensure the continuity of our successful strategy over the long term.”

He added that Dr Kley’s knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry in addition to his efforts in relation to the forming of Merck Serono placed him in a perfect position to take up the role of chairman.

Merck Serono was officially launched on January 8th 2007 following the closing of the share purchase agreement, with the top management appointed to the company and an integration process between the firms commencing.