Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, announced new appointments to several executive positions. These appointments involve transfers between the businesses and Group functions.
 
As of April 1, Michael Heckmeier, currently head of the Pigments & Functional Materials business unit, will become head of the Display Materials business unit within Performance Materials. Display Materials includes the Liquid Crystals business. Heckmeier joined the company in 1998 and has served as head of Liquid Crystals R&D, among other things. As head of the Pigments business, he successfully restructured the cosmetics activities.
 
Friedhelm Felten, who previously headed Group Procurement, will succeed Heckmeier on April 1 as head of the Pigments & Functional Materials business unit. Felten joined the company in 2009. Before that he held management positions in Germany and abroad for DHL/Deutsche Post and BASF, among other companies.
 
Felten will be succeeded as chief procurement officer by Joachim Christ, currently head of Group Controlling & Risk Management, also a candidate from within the company. Christ joined Merck KGaA in 2011. Prior to that, he held various positions within finance at Hoechst, Aventis and Lanxess.
 
“The moves show that our employees can grow both within a business sector and across functions and businesses. We are pleased that we could fill these positions with experienced managers from within the company,” said Walter Galinat, CEO Performance Materials and member of the Executive Board.