MERCK KGAA, DARMSTADT, GERMANY
Still, he believes the opportunity is too large to ignore:“ We need to acknowledge that there’ s a huge amount of value that can be unlocked if we tap into it.”
“ There’ s also an amount of risk that we can better manage if we control the process better,” he adds.“ I think those are the lessons that we should all learn. It’ s about recognising the opportunity and the risk.”
Shaping procurement with a long-term outlook Sebastien’ s way of working fits neatly into Merck’ s broader philosophy. Publicly listed but deeply rooted in family ownership, the company aims for generational thinking. It’ s an environment that matches Sebastien’ s values.
“ I like working for organisations that have a long term vision,” he says.“ We always say we don’ t just think in quarters, we think in generations.”
That long-range thinking also runs deeply into Merck’ s procurement strategy, especially when it comes to sustainability. Sebastien talks about the company’ s guiding principle with clarity:“ Our North Star for procurement is advancing procurement for a better tomorrow and a thriving Merck.”
He explains the importance of this mantra rests on three ideas; first that procurement must evolve to stay relevant and secondly that Merck’ s success depends on managing risk and delivering both top and bottom line performance. It’ s the third key pillar –“ a better tomorrow” that Sebastien sees as central to sustainability.
He views this holistically, explaining that Merck must create an environment where teams can thrive both internally and externally, while also recognising its responsibility to the wider world.
“ If we want to contribute to a better tomorrow, tackling sustainability is a big topic,” he says. Merck’ s biggest carbon impact lies in its Scope 3 emissions – those generated across the supply chain. This means helping suppliers transition to greener practices – whether through materials, renewable energy or smarter partnerships – is key.
“ Ultimately, sustainability is also what will enable a sustainable company,
10 merckgroup. com