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June 7, 2021

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs Key to Business Growth and Sustainability at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

SEMI spoke with Daniel Drellich, vice president of Human Resources at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany about the race for talent and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) strategies in the semiconductor industry, as well as about how Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is tackling this very important issue. Drellich shared his views about the critical importance of women in the STEM workforce and the quest to ensure every employee can bring her or his whole personality to work.

SEMI: Can you tell us a bit about your organization and your role?

Drellich: Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has three business pillars – Life Science, Healthcare and Electronics – that put us in a unique position to solve the greatest problems of our time through science. The Electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is the company behind the companies, advancing digital living by providing materials, technology, and solutions.  Leading human resources for the Electronics business at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is a great job, and it’s all about ensuring that we attract, retain and develop the best and the brightest talent in the industry, creating an environment where they can bring their full selves to work.

SEMI: Why is diversity, and specifically the advancement of women, so important for the semiconductor industry?

Drellich: When we look at the media today, it doesn’t take long until the semiconductor industry is mentioned, whether in wafer starts, investments in additional capacity and equipment or chip shortages. We are everywhere. This rapid growth meets a labor market, especially for STEM profiles, which is already tight. Diversity is so important because the industry simply cannot afford to block any capable talent – no matter what gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation – from entering it. Furthermore, our values as a company demand that we tear down such barriers and drive scientific curiousity.

Merck vibrant

It’s our priority to actively support differentiation in our hiring not only to fill our talent pipeline but also to ensure the most innovative teams solve the challenges we all face.

We can see that only about 20% of students in majors like engineering and computer science are women. Hence, we need to not only tap into the existing talent pool, but we need to actively promote the engagement of women in STEM subjects in general.

SEMI: What DE&I initiatives is your organization pursuing?

Drellich: The Electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany offers a number of programs that span topics ranging from creating an inclusive environment to ensuring our recruitment, placement and promotion processes are not only fair and equitable, but tap into the best and brightest across talent pools. Our culture programs include workshops that sensitize our employees that unconscious bias can lead to suboptimal decisions and show them how to mitigate it, as well as training on the neuropsychology of how your brain works and how to push your brain to overcome patterns in your reasoning that lead to exclusion.

The flexible working models, which we used way before the pandemic, have paid off tremendously – allowing us to sustain activity at unprecedented levels during the last year. We understand the value of DE&I in our ability to succeed throughout our organization and try to appeal to all candidates in our recruiting and Employer Branding activities such as our latest campaign. We have not solved all challenges but we are on the way and determined to make a difference.

SEMI: What would you like the semiconductor and other industries to take away from your testimonial?

Drellich: For me it is about three things. One, understanding that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is fundamental for our industry to be successful. We need differences of opinion, different personalities and different experiences to produce solutions for the complex opportunities ahead. Understanding the environment within your company and  the external reputation you foster are crucial.

Merck Pull QuoteTwo, tackling culture at a company is key to achieve lasting change. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is 353 years. Our ability to change is what makes us sustainably successful. If you want to build a company and a solution that lasts and innovates, then you must become skilled at evolving your culture with society.

And three, it is personally rewarding to contribute: It was a great moment in my working life when a female employee in Japan told me that because of our future ways of working program she was able to continue her career, living her passion, after her second child was born.

SEMI: What are your expectations for the future of DE&I?  

Drellich: DE&I is not only here to stay but is ever increasing in importance. Aside from general trends in many societies around the world, the proven fact that it is good for business will fuel this development. Diverse teams allow us to solve the toughest problems in the industry and accelerate business performance. Driving intrinsic curiosity by supporting everyone’s psychological needs is one of the key elements that will help us to improve further.

Furthermore, working during the pandemic from the home office has made everyone more authentic and vulnerable. Whether there were kids in the background or just showing one’s living room or kitchen in one of the many Teams meetings, employees brought more of themselves to the workplace. And all of this was enabled by the advancement our industry created! I firmly believe that this is valuable and deserves both our and the industry’s support.

Merck headshot

Daniel Drellich is vice president of Human Resources at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany with experience in a variety of disciplines. His specialties are talent management, organizational effectiveness and development, international HR, and HR M&A.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is a SEMI Europe member and SEMI Americas 2021 DE&I annual sponsor.

Serena Brischetto is senior manager of Marketing and Communications at SEMI Europe.