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Jean-Charles Wirth is a member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and CEO of Life Science. He joined the Executive Board in June 2025 after nearly 20 years with the company. He leads a team of more than 26,000 Life Science employees across 65 countries, all united by a shared purpose to impact life and health with science. 

Prior to becoming CEO of Life Science, Jean-Charles was Executive Vice President and Head of the Science and Lab Solutions business, the largest business unit of the company. In this role, he oversaw commercial geographies, strategic accounts, marketing, product management, research and business development, as well as eCommerce, strategy and services. Under his leadership, the business navigated a dynamic market environment while maintaining strong performance and customer focus. 

Since joining the company in 2006, Jean-Charles has held numerous leadership roles with increasing responsibilities. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Head of Applied Solutions before leading the integration of that franchise with Research Solutions to form Science and Lab Solutions in 2022. Earlier in his career, he was Sector CFO for the Life Science business, playing an active role in its transformation during a time of tremendous growth. His first role at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany was in the Performance Materials business (now Electronics). Prior to joining the company, he held positions at Baxter, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Crown Inc., and Alcatel Lucent. He has lived and worked in Africa, Europe, and North America.  

Jean-Charles was born in 1973 in Paris, France. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Sciences Po in Paris and graduated from the Paris School of Business. He is married and has three children.