Allan
Gabor
Chairman, AmCham Shanghai; former president, Merck China; former global executive vice president, Merck Electronics
Areas of Expertise:
Allan Gabor is a seasoned executive in the health care and electronic materials industries, having built winning teams across Asia with a track record of developing and executing growth strategies and transformations. He has been recognized for inclusive leadership and depth of experience in highly regulated, geopolitically sensitive environments.
He was elected Chairman of AmCham Shanghai in January 2024. The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, known as the “Voice of American business” in China, was founded in 1915. AmCham Shanghai was the third American Chamber established outside the United States, and now has 2,800 members from over 1,000 companies.
Mr. Gabor was the President of Merck China and Managing Director of Merck’s Electronics business sector in China from 2018 to 2023. He was also a permanent member of Merck’s Electronics Leadership Team (ELEC). As President of Merck China, he was responsible for developing and driving growth strategies in this key country and building on the company’s 350-year presence and reputation.
Prior to this role, Mr. Gabor served as the President of Asia Pacific for the biopharma business for the Merck Group. He was also the President and CEO of the biopharma business in China. He was instrumental in expanding Merck’s Asian footprint through a series of investments, including the establishment of Merck’s new €170 million world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Nantong, as well as building an extensive network of collaborations with leading academic and medical institutions.
Before joining Merck, Mr. Gabor spent 25 years at Pfizer in leadership roles, including Chairman and General Manager for China, and Regional President for North Asia, Russia, India, Turkey and Eastern Europe. Mr. Gabor successfully directed the launch of many of Pfizer’s innovative medicines in China and opened the China Regional Investment Center and a state-of-the-art research and development center in Shanghai.
In recognition of his tireless contribution to Shanghai, Mr. Gabor has been awarded the Magnolia Award twice by the Shanghai municipal government. He holds a BA in Communications from the College of Wooster and pursued further education at the University of Tennessee and Harvard Business School.