Merck — otherwise known as MSD outside of the US and Canada — has appointed Surendralal L. “Lal” Karsanbhai to its board of directors.
Surendralal is currently the President and CEO of Emerson Electric, and will take up his duties with Merck in the new year.
He will stand for election by the company's shareholders in May 2025.
This increases the capacity of Merck's board up to 13 members.
Mr Karsanbhai will be parshly responsible for overseeing the management of the pharmaceutical company, while also taking on his responsibilities at Emerson.
Surendralal joined Emerson in 1995 and held various roles increasing in scope and responsibility before becoming its CEO and an executive director on its board in 2021.
Mr. Karsanbhai also serves as deputy chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and on the board of the US-China Business Council. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis.
“We are pleased to welcome Lal Karsanbhai to the Merck board. Lal brings extensive business and operational expertise with a strong global perspective, and we look forward to his contributions and insights,” said Robert M. Davis, Chair and CEO of Merck.