Personnel changes at Group level of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, to further push science & technology based strategic growth trajectory 

• Roman Werth will take over Strategy, M&A and M Ventures
• Laura Matz will become Chief Science and Technology Officer
• Isabel de Paoli, Head of Strategy and Transformation, has decided to leave company
• Internal promotions underline high quality of top talent pipeline

Darmstadt, Germany, May 31, 2021 – Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is further pushing its science and technology based strategic growth trajectory with two appointments to key senior leadership positions on Group level. In both cases internal candidates will be promoted which underlines the high quality of the company’s top talent pipeline.

Effective June 1, Roman Werth will become new Head of Group Strategy, M&A and M Ventures, reporting to Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Isabel de Paoli, currently heading Group Strategy and Transformation, has decided to leave the company to turn to other career opportunities outside of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

“I would like to warmly thank Isabel de Paoli for her contributions to our company’s strategic development. In particular, the development of our global Innovation Hubs in China, Israel, the U.S. and Darmstadt is closely associated with her name. I wish Isabel de Paoli all the very best and much success in her future endeavors,” said Garijo.

In addition to Strategy Development and M&A on Group level, Roman Werth will be in charge of M Ventures, the company’s €400 million corporate venture capital fund headquartered in Amsterdam, with offices in the U.S. and Israel. M Ventures is mandated to invest into transformational technologies with the potential to significantly impact the core business areas of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Until now, Werth has been heading the company’s M&A department. Before joining the company in 2008, he worked at Siemens and Continental. He holds an MBA from Dresden Technical University.

“Roman Werth is an outstanding expert and strategic forward thinker. His combined leadership of Group Strategy, M&A and M Ventures will ensure integrated strategy development and execution, paving the way to drive our company’s organic and inorganic growth agenda more effectively,” said Garijo.

To emphasize the central importance of science and technology as key drivers of the company’s growth ambition, the new position of a Chief Science and Technology Officer will be created. Laura Matz will take over that position effective July 1, reporting to Belén Garijo. Her areas of responsibility will include Digital, Enterprise Data, Future Insight as well as the company’s global Innovation hubs in China, Israel, the U.S. and at Darmstadt headquarters.

Laura Matz joined the company in 2019 through the Versum Materials acquisition, and has since then served as Head of Planarization in the Semiconductor Materials business while also leading a business sector wide digital program for quality innovation with customers in Electronics. Matz had been with Versum Materials since 2016 and had previously worked at Air Products and Texas Instruments. She has a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Washington State University.

“Laura Matz manages to envision the future of science and technology and at the same time she has the pioneering spirit to bring this vision into reality. She will, in particular, pay close attention to cross-sectoral innovation creation to fully leverage our company’s unique advantages in serving the needs of patients, scientists and customers worldwide,” said Garijo.