Batra joins Merck from Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics in Boston, where he currently holds the position of head of Global Public Health and Market Access. He has held a number of global executive positions in healthcare for the last 15 years across a variety of functions, business segments and geographies.
Batra’s key priorities will be to define the future organisation to support the internationalisation of Merck Consumer Healthcare, particularly in emerging markets and the US, ensuring continued growth of the firm’s consumer healthcare brands and developing a pipeline to secure future success.
Batra started his career as a research engineer at Merck & Co (MSD outside North America).
In 2001, he joined McKinsey, where he worked across the healthcare, consumer and non-profit sectors as a senior engagement manager.
In 2004, Batra became global brand director for the Wound Care Franchise at Johnson & Johnson and joined Novartis in 2006, where he held several positions. He was the global head of corporate strategy at Novartis headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, as well as country president in Australia. In 2009, he was appointed as head of global public health and market access for the Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics business, where he also was a member of the global executive committee.
