Stipulations pursuant to section 76 (4) AktG (target for the percentage of positions held by women on the two upper management levels below the Executive Board)
We foster diversity within the company, which also includes ensuring a balance of genders in management. To this end, we pursue both voluntary and legally required objectives, and we work continuously and sustainably to achieve them. As a global company with correspondingly aligned global (leadership) structures, we are striving to increase the proportion of management positions held by women (managers, experts and project managers in roles 4 and above) as a voluntary goal. Our aim is to achieve gender parity by the end of 2030.
In addition, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is subject to the statutory obligations under section 76 (4) AktG.
On December 21, 2021, the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, therefore set the targets for the percentage of positions held by women within the company at 35.5% for the first management level below the Executive Board and 31.8% for the second management level below the Executive Board. Both targets corresponded to full headcounts at the date on which they were defined. The deadline set for reaching the targets was December 31, 2024.
As of December 31, 2024, the actual percentage of positions held by women within the company was 48.1% at the first management level and 36.0% at the second management level. For both management levels, the target proportion of women was thus significantly exceeded due to the successful recruitment and promotion of female employees at these levels.
On December 11, 2024, the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, set the new targets to be achieved by December 31, 2027, in order to implement the obligations under section 76 (4) AktG as follows:
- First management level of the Group below the Executive Board: 48.1% of positions held by women, corresponding to full headcounts at the date on which the targets were defined.
- Second management level of the Group below the Executive Board: 35.8% of positions held by women, also corresponding to full headcounts at the date on which the targets were defined.
The first management level comprises all managers of the Group with a direct reporting line to the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, or who belong to the Global Executive Group. The second management level comprises all managers of the Group who report to managers with a direct reporting line to the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, or the Global Executive Group.
Stipulations pursuant to section 111 (5) AktG (target for the percentage of positions on the Supervisory Board held by women)
Pursuant to section 111 (5) AktG, the supervisory boards of companies that are listed or subject to co-determination must stipulate binding targets for the percentage of positions on the supervisory board and on the management board held by women. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is not required to stipulate targets pursuant to section 111 (5) AktG for the following reasons:
The statutory target of 30% pursuant to section 96 (2) AktG is already applied to the Supervisory Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany; this eliminates the obligation to stipulate a further target for the percentage of positions held by women on the Supervisory Board (see section 111 (5) sentence 8 AktG).
In turn, the obligation to stipulate a target for the percentage of positions held by women on the Executive Board pursuant to section 111 (5) AktG and the minimum composition requirement for the Executive Board pursuant to section 76 (3a) AktG are not applicable to the legal form of a corporation with general partners (Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien), as a corporation with general partners neither has a management board comparable to that of a stock corporation, nor does the Supervisory Board have personnel authority over the Executive Board. Instead, the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, consists of personally liable general partners (see also the description of Supervisory Board procedures). In line with its diversity policy, however, Group also continues to pursue representation of both genders as an objective for the Executive Board.