DUPONT MERCK NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO LANDGRAF

Executive Summary

DUPONT MERCK NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO LANDGRAF is a 13-year DuPont veteran who will succeed Joseph Mollica, PhD, Dec. 1 when Mollica retires, the company announced Nov. 11. Kurt Landgraf, 47, has been in charge of sales, marketing and manufacturing for both the domestic and international sectors of DuPont Merck since the start-up of the joint venture in January 1991, when he was named exec VP. DuPont Merck has not appointed anyone to succeed Landgraf. The selection of Landgraf to succeed Mollica continues the dominance of former DuPont execs as the topsiders of the three- year-old joint venture ("The Pink Sheet" Feb. 11, 1991, T&G-7). Prior to the merger, Landgraf was director of the pharmaceuticals and imaging agents divisions and medical products department at DuPont; he also had a stint in DuPont's corporate plans department as a planning manager and was the pharmaceutical marketing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Before joining DuPont in 1980, Landgraf worked at Upjohn and Johnson & Johnson. Mollica was also a former DuPont exec. The departure of Mollica, 53, is being characterized by DuPont Merck as a desire on his part to find an opportunity similar to the one he landed when the joint-venture was formed in mid-1990: he is hoping to "capitalize on his talents and abilities in creating and turning around organizations," the company said. During Mollica's tenure, sales doubled to over $1 bil. and DuPont Merck expanded its European presence, including the opening of subsidiaries in Italy and Spain; DuPont Merck markets its products in 80 countries.