Ursula Noack has joined Merics as of today. She will be part of the management board and be leading finance and operations at the institute. Before joining MERICS, Ms. Noack was the Managing Director at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB), a non-university research institution funded by the federal government and the state of Berlin, since 2017.
A graduate in business administration with an MA in human resources development, she worked at the WZB since 1993. She has extensive experience in the areas of third-party funding, finance and administration. She succeeds Markus Piduhn, who has been a member of the MERICS Management Board as interim CFO since May 2024 and is also Executive Director of Stiftung Mercator.
“We are very pleased to have gained an experienced colleague in Ursula Noack, who ideally combines many years of leadership experience with extensive expertise in the financial management and administration of research institutions,” says MERICS Director Mikko Huotari.
“I am very much looking forward to working with the strong MERICS team and to my role in the Management Board, shaping the future MERICS together with our shareholder, Stiftung Mercator,” says Ursula Noack.
Lothar Kuhn | Director Communications
T +49 201 245 22 36 | lothar.kuhn@stiftung-mercator.de
ABOUT STIFTUNG MERCATOR
Stiftung Mercator is a private, independent, and non-profit foundation that acts on the basis of scientific expertise and practical project experience. Since 1996, it has been advocating for a society based on solidarity and participation. To this end, it supports and develops projects that improve participation and cohesion in an increasingly diverse community. Stiftung Mercator stands up for a cosmopolitan, democratic Europe, a digital transformation of state and society based on fundamental rights, and socially just climate change mitigation. Stiftung Mercator pursues activities in Germany, Europe, and worldwide. It feels particularly connected to the Ruhr area, home of its founder’s family and the foundation’s headquarters.
About MERICS
MERICS is Europe’s largest research institute dedicated to studying contemporary China and its relations with Europe and other parts of the world. As an independent think tank, MERICS publishes its research findings, informs decision makers from politics, business and civil society, and provides information to the media. MERICS was founded by the Mercator Foundation and is funded by it.
