Maja Pawinska Sims 04 Sep 2020 // 2:06PM GMT
DARMSTADT, GERMANY — Pharmaceutical company Merck has promoted Thomas Möller to the role of head of group communications, replacing Constantin Birnstiel, who has left the firm.
Möller (pictured) joined Merck in 2017 as head of external communications, before becoming head of corporate communications in January this year. Before Merck, he was at BASF for seven years, latterly as head of competence centres, communications and government relations. He also held other corporate communications positions in Germany, the US and Switzerland.
He will report to Stefan Oschmann, chairman of the executive board and CEO, who said: “Thomas Möller is an experienced communications professional with excellent knowledge of Merck. I am really looking forward to collaborating with him further.”
Oschmann added: “I cordially thank Constantin Birnstiel for his engagement and the results achieved in positioning Merck as a science and technology company as well as in purposefully advancing our communications activities. I wish him continued success and all the best.”
Birnstiel also joined Merck in 2017 from energy company Uniper, where he was EVP communications and investor relations. He was also Siemens' VP of corporate communications and investor relations, and sustainability lead, for seven years, and has worked for Osram and E.ON.
His tenure at Merck covered the firm’s 350th anniversary celebrations, the divestment of its consumer health business and the acquisition of Versum Materials. He was also responsible for building the company's brand identity in China.
Together with Möller, Birnstiel drove the digitalisation of group communications at Merck and established Merck’s global newsroom earlier this year. His next move is not yet known.