Germany’s Merck KGaA will soon have women occupying the top two posts on its executive board, marking a first in a corporate world more noted for its preponderance of men.
(Bloomberg) — Germany’s Merck KGaA will soon have women occupying the top two posts on its executive board, marking a first in a corporate world more noted for its preponderance of men.
Former investment banker Helene von Roeder, 52, will replace Marcus Kuhnert as Merck’s finance chief in July, the Darmstadt-based drugmaker said in a statement on Monday. She’ll join Chief Executive Officer Belen Garijo Lopez, 62, who’s currently the only female CEO of a DAX 40 company, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Roeder, who holds a Master’s Degree of Philosophy in theoretical astrophysics from the University of Cambridge, has sat on Merck’s supervisory board since 2019. She previously served as CFO of real estate company Vonovia SE after 23 years working at various investment banks, including heading up Credit Suisse Group AG’s business in Germany, Austria and Central and Eastern Europe.
The share of women on the management boards of Germany’s biggest companies surpassed the 20% mark for the first time last year, progress that still leaves Europe’s biggest economy lagging in the gender equality charts.
Some female executive appointments in Germany have proven short-lived. Carla Kriwet — who took the helm of dialysis care provider Fresenius Medical Care AG in October 2022 — made a brisk departure after just two months on the job over differences on strategy. She was replaced by another woman, Helen Giza.
Martina Merz is set to leave the post of CEO at the German industrial group ThyssenKrupp AG next month, after less than four years at the helm.
–With assistance from Tim Loh.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.