Merck has created a new C-suite role, chief strategy officer, and named one of its top execs to the post, it announced this week.
Michael Klobuchar, senior vice president, Merck Research Laboratories finance and global project and alliance management, will take on the new role as executive vice president and chief strategy officer, effective July 5. In his new role, he will become a member of the Executive Committee and lead advancement and executive of company strategy.
“Our company’s strength lies in the insight and expertise of our team and our unrelenting commitment to creating and deploying new medicines and vaccines that address important human and animal health needs,” President Rob Davis said in a prepared statement. “Mike’s insights, experience in key strategic, operational and financial roles, and deep commitment to scientific innovation will help drive our company’s evolution, and I look forward to collaborating with him in this important new role.”
Klobuchar has been with Merck since 1998, starting as an engineer and eventually rising through management positions including senior vice president, corporate strategy and financial planning, and president of the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund.
“I am honored to become Merck’s chief strategy officer, and I look forward to working closely with Rob and the Executive Committee to advance our company’s strategy and amplify the impact of our company’s remarkable scientific capabilities in an evolving industry,” he said in a statement. “I am continually inspired by our company’s 130-year legacy of scientific innovation that saves and improves lives, and I am humbled to have the opportunity to help sustain that legacy long into the future.”
