Merck, the German specialty chemicals company, announced on 13 September a change in the direction of the company's communications and stakeholder engagement.
Axel Löber will take over the position of Head of Global Communications and Stakeholder Engagement as of 1 November. Löber, who holds degrees in German literature, political science and psychology, will replace Sabia Schwarzer who has decided to leave Merck to move to the United States for personal reasons.
Löber was with Merck for eight years, and has now returned to the company. At the German company, he served as Senior Vice President Global Brand and Marketing. His responsibilities then included activities related to international marketing, market research and customer experience strategy. Axel Löber takes on this new challenge on his return to Merck after having held the position of Global Head of Brand Strategy and Communications from 2011 to 2018. During this period he was responsible for leading the transformational brand change, which was recognised with various awards in 2015.
Belén Garijo, Chairman of the Executive Committee and CEO of Merck, is delighted with Axel Löber's reinstatement: "I am delighted that in his return, Löber will bring his communication expertise together with a deep institutional knowledge of the brand. His skills and strong potential will contribute to the implementation of Merck's solid growth strategy in the coming years."
Sabia Schwarzer will leave Merck on 31 October 2023 and Belén Garijo also wanted to thank her for her work and performance at the company: "She has led a significant transformation of the Communication function and achieved substantial improvements. Merkc's reputation took a leap forward during her presence and she was awarded the German Image Award in 2023. I would like to thank Sabia Schwarzer for bringing her people-centred leadership and passion for storytelling to our company. We wish her all the best," explained Belén Garijo.