EMD Serono, the healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in the U.S. and Canada, announced two senior leadership appointments, according to a press release.

Miguel Fernández Alcalde has been named Head of Global Commercial Strategy, a role previously held by Andrew Paterson, who is retiring after 31 years with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Fernández Alcalde had been serving as President of EMD Serono and Head of North America, a position he joined in 2014. He has also held roles including Chief Operating Officer of EMD Serono and Head of Global Business Excellence & Innovation.

Monia Vial will succeed Fernández Alcalde as President of EMD Serono and Head of North America. She joins from Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President and Head of the U.S. Rare Disease Business Unit. Her career includes roles at AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Shire Pharmaceuticals. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Pharmacy, Paris, and a Master's Degree in Marketing from HEC Paris.

Both Fernández Alcalde and Vial will be based in Boston and will serve as members of the Healthcare Executive Committee.