Kai Beckmann joined the Executive Board of Merck in April 2011. He is responsible for the Electronics business sector, which he has been leading as CEO since September 2017. In addition, he acts as Country Speaker Germany with responsibility for co-determination matters. Prior to his current role, Kai Beckmann was Chief Administration Officer of Merck with responsibility for Group Human Resources, Group Business Technology, Group Procurement, Inhouse Consulting, Site Operations and Merck Business Services as well as Environment, Health, Safety, Security, Quality. In 2007, he became the first CIO of Merck, with responsibility for Corporate Information Services. From 2004 to 2007, he served as Managing Director of the Merck companies in Singapore and Malaysia, and prior to that he held senior executive responsibility for the Information Management and Consulting unit from 1999 to 2004. He began his career at Merck in 1989 as an IT system consultant. Kai Beckmann studied computer science at the Technical University of Darmstadt from 1984 to 1989. In 1998, he earned a doctorate in Economics while working. In addition, Kai Beckmann has been President of the Federal Employers' Association for the German Chemical Industry (Bundesarbeitgeberverband Chemie, BAVC) since June 2017. Kai Beckmann is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Bundesdruckerei GmbH, Vice President of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD, and Member of the Senate of acatech - National Academy of Science and Engineering.