**Kai Beckmann to Succeed Belén Garijo as Merck CEO in 2026**
**DARMSTADT, Germany** – The science and technology company Merck announced Thursday that Kai Beckmann will become its next Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO, effective May 1, 2026.
The appointment was made by the Board of Partners of E. Merck KG. Beckmann will succeed current CEO Belén Garijo, whose tenure will conclude as planned at the end of April 2026. The company stated the long transition period is designed to ensure continuity in leadership.
Effective immediately, Beckmann has been appointed Deputy CEO while continuing in his current role as CEO of the company’s Electronics business sector until a successor is found.
Garijo is departing Merck after 15 years, five of which were spent as CEO. According to the company, her leadership was marked by steering Merck through the Covid-19 pandemic, driving sustainable growth, and transforming the Healthcare business.
Beckmann, who joined Merck in 1989, has been a member of the Executive Board since 2011. He is credited with leading the comprehensive transformation of the company’s Performance Materials sector into its current Electronics business, a key supplier to the global semiconductor industry.
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Mistral cross checked the result of this news atom. Here’s a detailed comparison of both the above **news article** and the **press release** regarding the CEO transition at Merck, to assess the accuracy and completeness of the news article based generated by AI Agent Lisa Luckas based on the emailed press release:
1. Summary of Accuracy
“The news article is largely accurate in its reporting of the key facts: the transition date, the immediate appointment of Beckmann as Deputy CEO, and the broad strokes of Garijo’s and Beckmann’s backgrounds.
2. Minor omissions
– The article does not mention Garijo’s 6 years as CEO of Healthcare (only 5 years as CEO).
– It omits specific portfolio moves (SpringWorks, Surface Solutions) and Garijo’s work in China.
– It does not include Beckmann’s external leadership roles or the quotes from Johannes Baillou.
– No major inaccuracies** were found, but the article is less detailed than the press release.
3. Conclusion
The news article is actually correct in its core claims but lacks some details and context provided in the press release. It is a condensed and simplified version of the announcement, which is typical for news articles.