Belén Garijo

Belén Garijo serves as Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, since May 2021, making history as the first woman to lead the 355-year-old German science and technology company and the first female CEO to head a DAX 30 listed company. Born July 31, 1960, in Almansa, Spain, Garijo represents a transformative leadership model that combines deep medical expertise with strategic pharmaceutical acumen and global business transformation capabilities. Armed with a medical degree from the University of Alcalá (1983) and specialization in clinical pharmacology, Garijo began her career as a practicing physician at La Paz Hospital in Madrid before transitioning to the pharmaceutical industry. Her unique physician-executive perspective has driven her 35-year career across Abbott Laboratories, Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, Aventis, Sanofi-Aventis, and ultimately Merck KGaA, where she has consistently championed patient-centered innovation and strategic business transformation. As CEO, Garijo has positioned Merck as a global science and technology pioneer through her "Big 3" strategy encompassing Life Science, Healthcare, and Electronics businesses. Under her leadership, Merck has committed over €30 billion in targeted investments from 2021-2025 (a 50% increase from the prior five-year period) focusing on R&D, capital expenditure, and strategic acquisitions. Her transformational healthcare leadership earlier as CEO of Merck Healthcare (2015-2021) established the company as a key global player in oncology, immunology, and immuno-oncology through portfolio repositioning, R&D reorganization, and commercial model transformation. Garijo's strategic vision extends beyond business performance to sustainability leadership, with ambitious targets for 2030 climate goals and her active participation in The Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Task Force to accelerate net-zero transitions. Her influence transcends Merck through board positions at L'Oréal SA and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A., membership in the European Round Table for Industry, and recognition as one of Forbes' "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" and Fortune's "Most Powerful Women International." Her leadership philosophy of "Sparking Discovery, Elevating Humanity" reflects her commitment to advancing human progress through science and technology while maintaining the highest standards of corporate responsibility and gender leadership in European business.