Merck KGaA : Appoints Isabel De Paoli as new Head of Group Communications

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 Walter Huber will retire on March 8, 2016, following 18 years as Head of

 Heiko Schön will take over as Head of Group Strategy on Aug. 1, 2015

Darmstadt, Germany, July, 30, 2015 - Isabel De Paoli (40), currently Head of Group Strategy, has been appointed Head of Group Communications effective March 9, 2016. In her new role, she will be responsible for all global communications at Merck. Walter Huber, who currently holds the position, will retire following the Group's annual earnings press conference on March 8, 2016. At that time, he will have just turned 60. On August
1, 2015, Isabel De Paoli will hand over operational responsibility for Group Strategy, which since the beginning of the year has also included Group Organization, to Heiko Schön (36). Isabel De Paoli will use the time until March to prepare for her new role.
"With Walter Huber an excellent communicator will be leaving. His expertise, his smart and balanced advice as well as his loyalty have been deeply appreciated inside and outside the company. Walter Huber has played an important role in helping transform the company over the past years," said Karl-Ludwig Kley, Chairman of the Executive Board of Merck since 2007. "He's always been open to change and able to adapt new things without jumping on every bandwagon. His 18-year tenure is inextricably linked with the expansion and internationalization of Group Communications. We thank Walter
Huber for his dedication and commitment in his almost 25-year career with Merck. I want

Merck KGaA

Frankfurter Strasse 250 Head Media Relations -62445

64293 Darmstadt Spokesperson: -9591 / -7144 / -6328

Hotline +49 6151 72-5000 Fax +49 6151 72-3138 www.emdgroup.commedia.relations@emdgroup.com

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to thank him personally for being such a good and reliable adviser even in difficult
situations."
Walter Huber had been in charge of Health Policy and Public Affairs at Merck since 1991 before taking over as Head of Group Communications in 1998. As part of his various external roles, he headed the communications committees of both, the German Chemicals Industry Association (VCI) and the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA).
With regard to the successors in the Group Communications and Group Strategy functions Kley said: "I'm pleased that we have been able to fill those important positions with internal managers. Isabel De Paoli brings many years of experience in shaping and implementing strategic topics as well as an international background - capabilities that are becoming ever more important in a rapidly changing communications environment. Heiko Schön has driven important strategic projects with great perseverance over the past ten years and for three years now has significantly contributed to shaping the Group's strategy."
Merck has made it a key priority in its talent management process to fill key management positions with internal candidates. Isabel De Paoli and Heiko Schön are two examples of developing highly qualified managers at Merck over the long term.
Isabel De Paoli joined Merck in August 2006 as Business Development Manager Chemicals and was appointed Head of Strategic Planning Oncology in 2009. Since January 2012, she has been responsible for Group Strategy. Over the past three years, she has established the global function and has been responsible for leading the development of Merck's strategy, for which she introduced a systematic strategic planning process across all businesses. Following her Chemical Engineering studies in Brazil and Hamburg, she began her career as a consultant, working for The Boston
Consulting Group, from where she moved to private equity firm Permira. The future Head

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of Group Communications at Merck holds Brazilian and Italian citizenships and is married with two children.
Heiko Schön joined Merck in 2005 and held various positions of increasing responsibility in Group Finance before moving to Group Strategy in 2012. He has worked on important strategic projects such as the divestment of the Group's Generics business, the integrations of both Serono and Millipore and the "Fit for 2018" transformation and growth program. The new Head of Strategy studied International Business, holds an Executive MBA and completed a Ph.D. on M&A and alliances. He is married and has a son.

You find pictures and CVs of De Paoli and Schön here.

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Merck is a leading company for innovative, top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials. The company has six businesses - Merck Serono, Consumer Health, Allergopharma, Biosimilars, Merck Millipore and Performance Materials - and generated sales of around

€ 11.3 billion in 2014. Around 39,000 employees work for Merck in 66 countries to improve the quality of life for patients, to further the success of customers, and to help meet global challenges. Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company - since 1668, the company has stood for innovation, business

success and responsible entrepreneurship. Holding an approximately 70% interest, the founding family

remains the majority owner of the company to this day. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are Canada and the United States, where the company operates as EMD Serono, EMD Millipore and EMD Performance Materials.

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