
Kai Beckmann
CEO Electronics | Executive Board Member Merck Group
Kai Beckmann is CEO of Electronics and has been a Member of the Executive Board since 2011. He took on responsibility for the Performance Materials business sector in September 2017 and steered its comprehensive, multi-year transformation into today’s Electronics business. Under his leadership, Electronics has emerged as a global industry leader in semiconductor and optical technologies [and materials] following several pivotal acquisitions and execution of a deliberate growth strategy. In addition, he acts as Country Speaker for Germany.
Before being appointed CEO of Electronics, Kai served as a Member of the Executive Board at Merck and was Merck’s Chief Administration Officer with responsibility over several key group functions, including Human Resources, Business Technology, Procurement, Inhouse Consulting, Site Operations and Merck Business Services.
He has held global roles of increasing responsibility since joining Merck in 1989, notably Chief Information Officer and Managing Director of Merck Singapore & Malaysia.
Kai was named Chair of the Bundesdruckerei-Gruppe Supervisory Board in May 2023 and he became a Vice President of the BDA, the Confederation of German Employers' Associations, in 2017. From 2017 to 2024, he served as President of the German Federation of Chemical Employers’ Associations (BAVC), representing 1700 member companies from the chemical and pharmaceutical sector.
Kai was born on 13 September 1965 in Hanau, Germany. He holds a degree in computer science and a doctorate in economics from the Technical University of Darmstadt.