Merck General Manager elected to Board of Directors for The Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)

Doina Ionescu, Managing Director and General Manager for Merck Healthcare UK and Ireland, has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). Dr Ionescu has been elected to represent medium-sized companies on the ABPI Board of Directors and aims to further strengthen the relationship and UK innovation ecosystem between the pharmaceutical industry, patients, the NHS and the UK economy.

Commenting on her election, Dr Ionescu says:“ I feel privileged and delighted to have been elected onto the ABPI Board of Directors. If there was ever any doubt, last year has demonstrated the paramount importance of a strong, trusting and collaborative relationship between our industry and the wider health system.“

Among the areas that Doina has a particular passion for are personalised healthcare and shared decision making, supporting carers of patients and women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths). In 2021, Merck will be focusing on these three areas in addition to championing the views on medium-sized companies working in the pharmaceutical sector.

“I look forward to working with Richard Torbett (Chief Executive, ABPI), Ben Osborn (President, ABPI and MD, Pfizer) and Pinder Sahota (Vice President, ABPI and GM, Novo Nordisk) to ensure that the priorities of mid-sized ABPI members are addressed at the ABPI Board level, informing our shared industry vision for UK life sciences,” she adds.

Doina began her career with Merck in 1998 working in R&D in Southampton. Since then she has held various senior positions within the company including in Corporate Business Development, Life Science and Healthcare. Before becoming the General Manager for Merck Healthcare UK & ROI she was the Global Head of Business Innovation.

Since joining Merck UK and ROI in May 2020 as General Manager, Doina has successfully maintained the established portfolio of Merck therapies, delivering profitable growth during the pandemic and empowering teams to launch treatments for fertility and bladder cancer, entirely virtually. She has also championed the development of digital capabilities including piloting new concepts around artificial intelligence and understanding of customer needs. Driving innovation through a culture of diversity, inclusion and agility will continue to be a key priority for her.

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About Merck

Founded in Germany in 1668, Merck is the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. We have a significant presence in the UK, having been active here since 1883. Over 1,300 employees work in 11 UK locations across the entire operational spectrum, from manufacturing to sales and marketing, distribution and research and development (R&D). Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Performance Materials.

About the ABPI

The ABPI exists to make the UK the best place in the world to research, develop and use new medicines. It represents companies of all sizes who invest in discovering the medicines of the future. Its members supply cutting edge treatments that improve and save the lives of millions of people. The ABPI works in partnership with Government and the NHS so patients can get new treatments faster and the NHS can plan how much it spends on medicines. Every day, the ABPI partners with organisations in the life sciences community and beyond to transform lives across the UK.

Job Code: UI-NONPR-00030

Date of Preparation: May 2021