New CEO at Merck Millipore

Merck Millipore Dr. Udit Batra Portrait_web

Merck Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck KGaA, appoints Dr. Udit Batra as CEO and President. Dr. Batra will assume his position on May 15, 2014, and will be based at the company's U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts. From there, he will be responsible for strategic corporate management, fostering growth and innovation, as well as overseeing global operations.

"Considering that Merck Millipore is the global leader in the Life Science industry, I feel very honored to become part of the Merck Millipore team. I look forward to serving our customers worldwide," said Dr. Batra. "Since I come from a research background, I am familiar with the strong products of the Merck Millipore portfolio from personal experience. I have observed the company's development over the past years and am now excited to build on this success and deliver sustainable value to our customers and stakeholders."

Dr. Batra joins Merck Millipore from the Consumer Health division of Merck KGaA, where he successfully drove corporate growth in established and emerging markets. In a previous role, he served as Head of Global Public Health and Market Access at Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics and held various management positions at Novartis, including Head of Corporate Strategy and Market Leader for the pharmaceutical business in Australia.

Dr. Batra began his career as a research engineer at Merck & Co. In 2001, he moved to McKinsey, where he worked as a Senior Engagement Manager for healthcare, as well as the consumer and non-profit sectors. Subsequently, he was employed from 2004 as Global Brand Director at Johnson & Johnson's Wound Care Franchise before moving to Novartis in 2006.

Dr. Batra is a member of WSMI (World Self Medication Industry) and chairman of the Dietary Supplements Committee of AESGP (Association of the European Self-Medication Industry). He earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware.