Germany’s Merck KGaA has appointed two new executive board members. Udit Batra and Walter Galinat, heads of the Life Science and Performance Materials business sectors respectively, will join the board as of Apr. 30. They will retain their previous business responsibilities.

Bernd Reckmann, the incumbent board member responsible for Life Science and Performance Materials, will retire on Apr. 29.Since the beginning of 2015, Merck KGaA has been organized into three sectors: Healthcare, Life Science and Performance Materials, each of which will now be directly represented on the executive board.