Karim Bendhaou

Dr. Karim Bendhaou (MD, MBA) has served as President of North and West Africa operations (40 countries of Africa) for Merck for over 18 years till September 2018 and since then he heads the Africa Bureau and coordinates all of Merck’s corporate, strategic and executive decisions in Africa. A real pioneer, he has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for almost 22 years, building up strong pan-African organizations, gaining extensive experience in biotech medicines and biosimilars, and leading a successful enterprise; all the while keeping the patient in mind and increasing the commitment of the organization to the UNDG and to high ethical values. Passionate about Africa, he is highly committed to driving the continent forward helping, through public-private partnerships, to lead the improvement of healthcare with a focus on Digital Technology and adoption of innovative ideas. Through the various corporate social responsibility projects, he has worked together with governments and non-governmental organizations to assure access to treatment. He has been appointed, in August 2019, as Africa Engagement Committee Chair of the IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers &Associations). He holds a Doctorate in Medicine from Algiers and Paris, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration.