Life Science holds enormous promise to shape research and accelerate access to better health for people everywhere. Exciting changes are unlocking that promise today. Udit Batra will discuss some of these developments and their implications, including the rise of gene editing technologies to accelerate drug discovery and production; flexible biologic manufacturing to localize production; and digital technology to support researchers in designing experiments and acquiring necessary reagents and consumables.

Since becoming CEO of MilliporeSigma in March 2014, Udit Batra and his team have developed and executed a growth strategy that includes the merger of life science technology leader Sigma-Aldrich. The merger, which closed in November 2015, is the largest deal in the history of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and one of the largest in the life science industry.

Today, MilliporeSigma provides a broad range of research, process, and applied science solutions to scientists and researchers in the healthcare, academic, and industrial sectors. The business employs ~19,000 employees in 66 countries.  MilliporeSigma comprises nearly 40 percent of Merck's total business. In 2015, MilliporeSigma was the fastest growing business sector in the company, even amid the ongoing integration activities with Sigma-Aldrich.  

Prior to joining Merck, Batra served in a range of leadership positions at Novartis. In addition to leading Corporate Strategy and Global Public Health and Market Access for Vaccines and Diagnostics, he also served as president of the Australia Pharma business. Under his leadership, this subsidiary became the fastest growing business in Novartis. Earlier in his career, Batra held senior positions in the healthcare, consumer and non-profit practices at McKinsey & Company, a global strategy and consulting company.

Batra, a chemical engineer by training, holds a B.S. from the University of Delaware and Ph.D. from Princeton University. He started his career as a research engineer fellow at Merck & Co, Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, where he worked on vaccines and small molecules. He has received several honors and awards including nationally recognized fellowships at Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ; DuPont, and Mitsubishi. He presently serves on the boards of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Massachusetts High Technology Council, and the University of Delaware, Department of Chemical Engineering.