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I think '26 is the year where clarity

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and empathy are the key currency.

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- Khadija, welcome to Davos.

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Thank you for joining me today.

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Thank you for having me, Judith.

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Look, we've heard a a lot at this Davos.

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Beyond all the political
volatility, the uncertainty

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that's protracted is also a year

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with a renewed focus on
action, on practical impact.

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And looking ahead as the
chief people officer of Merck,

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I was just curious to see
what is on your agenda,

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on the people agenda as
you look ahead?

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- People will remain the
greater asset of any company,

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and I think that will never, never change,

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and we need to really capitalize on that.

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So for me, what is in my
agenda is really making sure that

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we create as, as senior
leaders the condition for people

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and for technology to come together

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and do their best together.

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That's one of the key
priorities. In a world

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that is constantly evolving,
challenging, and uncertain.

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We need to make sure also
that we create an organization

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that can absorb that
uncertainty as fast as

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as possible without losing the momentum.

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And last but not least,
we need to show care.

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I think our employees, our colleagues,

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are looking up at us for reassurance.

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And I think '26 is the year where clarity

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and empathy are the key currency.

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I'd like to come back to your
first one on when you said

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how technology and humans work together.

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If you look at the AI agenda

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that you've driven from a people function,

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what do you think has
worked especially well?

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- What has worked very well the last two

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and a half years is the, the
safety net we have created

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around AI, around technology.

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Because let's remind
ourself very clearly that

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that's the very first tech revolution

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where the technology is
growing faster than the

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human can absorb.

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So it can't come with a lot of anxiety.

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So we spend a lot of time
in reassuring our employee,

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but the playground time now is over.

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So now we are taking an accelerated way

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where we are mainly
focused on career paths

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and building skills for tomorrow

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and showing to our employees

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that it's not about losing your job,

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it's about doing something
something different.

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It's really about showing them
the career opportunity they

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can have thanks to AI.

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And that's how we are tackling
this AI upskilling topic.

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The second I will say element
where we accelerate in '26

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and beyond is looking
at anchoring AI into our

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process end to end.

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Because right now, if you really want

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to tap into the full potential
of AI, it goes beyond my GPT,

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it go beyond copilot.

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It's really making sure that
you reinvent your processes

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by having AI incorporated

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and that's how real value is coming.

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And we see that across
the function within HR

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as well in in science,
in R&D and in commercial.

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- You've also talked about
your priority to make sure

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that you, your workforce can
spring back, focus on the job,

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adapt on, you know,
focus on the job again,

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even when times are very choppy.

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You, you spoke about resilience

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that's surely needed in this day and age.

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It's one question I'm really trying

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to ask every business
leader this, this week here,

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despite all the doom and gloom that

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that often often happens
in, in the public narrative,

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what is your source of optimism?

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What's the point where your hypothesis is

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that we might be better off at the end

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of '26 than at its beginning?

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- So my hypothesis is I work,
you know, for for Merck, KGaA

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and it's a company that
has been run for 357 years.

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So we know that what is always
consistent will be leadership

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and how we show up as
a leader and humanity.

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And I'm really optimistic about that

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because Davos is a great example.

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We see great leaders here
coming together, trying

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to solve the toughest problems of society.

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Always putting, I will say
humanity and the greater good.

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So that's my optimisim
looking ahead, making sure

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that our leader continue
to show up with care,

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with authenticity,
doubling down our values

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because no matter what, if
we follow that North star,

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we will be successful.

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- I really liked it that you
also brought it back to values.

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Business leaders have
to stand up for Khadija.

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So I suggest we wrap up
there. Have a great week and

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thank you very much for joining me.

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Thank you for having me, Judith.
Have a great week as well.

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Thank you.