Udit Batra

Biography

Since becoming CEO of life science at Merck in March 2014, Udit Batra and his team have developed and executed a growth strategy that includes the merger of life science technology leader Sigma-Aldrich. The merger, which closed in November 2015, is the largest deal in the history of Merck and one of the largest in the life science industry. Batra became a member of the Merck Executive Board in April 2016. Today, the life science business sector provides a broad range of research, process, and applied science solutions to scientists and researchers in the healthcare, academic, and industrial sectors. The business employs approximately 19,000 employees in more than 66 countries. Life Science comprises nearly 40 percent of Merck’s total business. In 2015, MilliporeSigma was the fastest growing business sector in the company, even amid the ongoing integration activities with Sigma-Aldrich. Batra has dedicated his career to improving healthcare for people globally. He brings more than 20 years’ experience in healthcare, business growth and turnarounds, and building high performing teams. Previously, he led Merck’s global consumer healthcare business, where his team more than doubled the profitability of the business, making it the company’s fastest growing business. Prior to joining Merck, Batra served in a range of leadership positions at Novartis. In addition to leading Corporate Strategy and Global Public Health and Market Access for Vaccines and Diagnostics, he also served as president of the Australia Pharma business. Under his leadership, this subsidiary became the fastest growing business in Novartis. Earlier in his career, Batra held senior positions in the healthcare, consumer and non-profit practices at McKinsey & Company, a global strategy and consulting company. Batra, a chemical engineer by training, holds a B.S. from the University of Delaware and Ph.D. from Princeton University. He started his career as a research engineer fellow at Merck & Co., Inc. where he worked on vaccines and small molecules. Udit has received several honors and awards including nationally recognized fellowships at Merck & Co., Inc., DuPont, and Mitsubishi. He presently serves on the boards of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Massachusetts High Technology Council, and the University of Delaware, Department of Chemical Engineering. Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. In the United States and Canada, the company operates as MilliporeSigma, EMD Serono, and EMD Performance Materials.

Research Interest

Leading science,micro biology