After More Than Four Decades at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany: Walter Galinat to Retire

Darmstadt, Germany, August 9, 2018 – The Personnel Committee of the Board of Partners of E. Merck KG, Darmstadt, Germany has resolved by best mutual agreement with Walter Galinat (62) to end his contract as a general partner of E. Merck KG, Darmstadt, Germany and Executive Board member of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Walter Galinat will retire with effect from September 30, 2018. As a member of the Executive Board of Merck  KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, he is currently responsible for the Darmstadt site (global company headquarters), Environment, Health, Safety, Security and Quality (EQ), Procurement, and Inhouse Consulting.

“For 42 years, Walter Galinat has been a pillar of the company. Under his leadership, the company built and grew the Liquid Crystals business to become the global market leader. The success story of this business is legendary,” said Johannes Baillou, Chairman of the Board of Partners of E. Merck KG, Darmstadt, Germany. “The family of owners is greatly indebted to Walter Galinat for this. We genuinely wish him every success and all the very best for the next chapter of his life.”

Walter Galinat started an apprenticeship at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in 1976 and after earning a degree in Business Administration, he moved in 1984 to Taiwan, where he built up the local subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. He returned to Germany in 1994, became head of the Laboratory Products division, and in 1996 assumed the leadership of Eurolab, the former laboratory distribution business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. In 2007, he became head of the former Liquid Crystals division and was CEO of the Performance Materials business sector from 2010 to 2017. In 2016, Walter Galinat was appointed member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. 

In the recent past, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has transformed itself from a classic, regionally focused supplier of pharmaceuticals and chemicals into a global science and technology company. Accordingly, since the beginning of 2015 the company has been organized into three business sectors: Healthcare, Life Science and Performance Materials.

With Walter Galinat’s departure, his areas of responsibility will be assigned to the other members of the Executive Board. As of October 1, 2018, the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany will comprise the following members: Stefan Oschmann (Chairman), Udit Batra (CEO Life Science; IT), Kai Beckmann (CEO Performance Materials; Patents; now additionally the Darmstadt site; Inhouse Consulting), Belén Garijo (CEO Healthcare; Human Resources; now additionally EQ), and Marcus Kuhnert (CFO; now additionally Procurement).