EMD Millipore, the life science division of Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, has appointed Udit Batra, Ph.D. as its incoming president and CEO. He will be responsible for the organization's strategic direction to drive growth and product innovation as well as oversight of the worldwide operations.
Batra will assume leadership effective May 15, and will be based at the company's U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts.
"As a global leader in the life sciences industry, I am very humbled and excited to be a part of EMD Millipore team and look forward to serving our customers globally," Batra said. "As a former researcher who personally utilized the strong differentiated products that EMD Millipore offers, I have watched this organization develop over the past several years, and look forward to further building upon that success to bring continued value to our customers and other stakeholders."
Batra comes to EMD Millipore from the consumer health division of Merck KGaA, where he successfully grew the business in established and emerging markets. He previously worked at Novartis, where he was head of global public health and market access. Prior to that, he served in a range of executive management positions at Novartis, including global head of corporate strategy and country president for the Pharma business in Australia.
Batra started his career as a research engineer at Merck & Co. In 2001, he joined McKinsey where he worked across the healthcare, consumer and nonprofit sectors as a senior engagement manager. In 2004, he was appointed global brand director for the wound care franchise at Johnson & Johnson, before joining Novartis in 2006.
Batra is a member of the World Self Medication Industry and the chair of the Food Supplements Committee of the =Association of the European Self-Medication Industry. He holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton University and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware.
