MSD appoints Brecht Vanneste as Managing Director of India

MSD (known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA in the United States and Canada) has announced the appointment of Brecht Vanneste as Managing Director (MD) of MSD in India, effective 1 March 2026. He will be based in Mumbai.

Vanneste is a biopharmaceutical industry veteran who has been at MSD for more than 27 years, and has held a portfolio of international leadership roles. Prior to this, he was the Oncology Business Unit Leader of MSD in China where he provided strategic leadership for the introduction of new products and indications across the private market and through financial patient programs.

Previously, Vanneste served as Managing Director of MSD in Belgium & Luxembourg where he strengthened MSD’s oncology presence and capabilities. His career has spanned roles in sales, marketing, and access – leading both market and regional teams, including as the External Affairs Lead at MSD in Belgium, Franchise Director for Alzheimer’s Disease across Europe and Canada, and Regional Marketing Lead for the Cardiovascular portfolio based in Switzerland.