Industrial business apprenticeship, Siemens; 1974-79, law studies, Ludwig-Maximilians Univ., Munich; 1979-82, practical training as a lawyer, Hamburg and Johannesburg; 1986, Doctorate in Law, Univ. of Munich. 1982-98, with Bayer: in Corporate Finance; later, Assistant to the Chairman of the Management Board; 1987-91, Chief Financial Officer, Bayer, Japan; 1991-94, senior exec. positions within sales and marketing, Pharmaceutical division; 1994-97, Head of the Pharmaceutical division, Italian subsidiary of Bayer; most recently, Head of Corporate Finance and Investor Relations. 1998-2006, Member of the Exec. Board, Deutsche Lufthansa; also, Chief Financial Officer. With Merck: Sept. 2006, appointed Vice-Chairman of the Exec. Board; since April 2007, Chairman of the Exec. Board.