By Annabel MacGowan
Dania Hückmann, the first female Merz family member on both the Merz Aesthetics Board and the Board of Directors, stands at the intersection of tradition and progress in a family company that spans five generations. She brings a fresh perspective while honouring the legacy of her great-grandfather, Friedrich Merz, who founded the company over a century ago. Known for his visionary ideas, Friedrich Merz’s influence is still evident in the company’s forward-thinking approach, and Dania is eager to build on that legacy while embracing values of inclusivity, sustainability, and empowerment.
ANTI-AGE & LONGEVITY MAGAZINE: Do you feel that you’ve been influenced or at least inspired by your family lineage?
Dania Hückmann: Yes, absolutely. I am a member of the fourth generation of the Merz family, and I identify with my father, who was the CEO for many years. He was a very purpose-driven person, always focused on responsibility and foresight. But what’s particularly meaningful to me is that Merz always had strong women involved. When my father was CEO, my aunt was his co-chair and he only had female shareholders. I feel it’s important to highlight the women in our family, whose contributions have often been outside of the spotlight, the focus being mostly on the men. I learned a lot from my father, who always said that you should surround yourself with people who are not afraid to ask the difficult questions, and to make decisions based on what’s truly needed. I realised that being part of a family business gives you the opportunity to make a real impact, and that’s what motivated me to take an active role.
AALM: You’re the first woman on the Merz Aesthetics Board and the Board of Directors. How did you make the decision to join?
D.H.: I had been living in the U.S., where I was a professor at Harvard, when I decided to return to the family business. After my daughter was born and with the onset of the pandemic, I had time to reflect on what challenges the future holds for her. A friend suggested I join the family business, and while at first, I laughed at the idea, it stuck with me. I spent three years doing an onboarding programme to learn the business, and in the end, the family voted me in alongside my two cousins Christian Baatz and Sebastian Schellhaas. I wanted to contribute to sustainability and to prepare for the challenges of the future, so I took on this unique opportunity to help shape the future of the company.
AALM: What is your favourite way of motivating yourself to nourish your drive and your inspiration?
D.H.: I draw a lot of motivation from my experiences, especially skydiving. Seeing that the world is round is such a mind-changing experience. I’ve done over 1,500 skydives. The moment that the parachute opens and you have a beautiful view, it gives you peace. It’s just you in your body and it disconnects you from everything else.
AALM: Can you tell us about Merz’s transition from pharma to aesthetics and how it fits with your vision?
D.H.: Growing up, healthcare was always a big part of our family. I grew up with it at the breakfast table. But transitioning from pharma to aesthetics was a shift. Time is the essence. We don’t think in quarters, we think in generations. I feel that what has made us successful is two factors. One is that we are consistent in our values, which can be summed up as: “Be better, be different, stay independent”. The second factor is that we are not afraid to go for change. Our aesthetics portfolio was built on the success of Memantine®, our Alzheimer medication. It enabled us to make the move towards aesthetic medicine, which is about helping people to feel confident, empowered, and happy with themselves. Today the optics are more about preserving rather than trying to fix something. It’s very important that we look at ourselves and ask: “What are my best features, what should be highlighted?” It’s more about emphasising one’s “signature beauty”. Another trend that I think is very positive is biostimulation because it’s about using your own body resources. It’s a perfect addition to Merz Group’s healthcare products, following a more holistic approach, it’s about feeling good inside and out. I love aesthetics, I think it’s a vibrant and creative field.
AALM: How do you apply sustainability in a pharmaceutical and aesthetics company? Doesn’t it sometimes conflict with innovation and safety?
D.H.: It’s a cultural mindset at Merz. My great-grandfather always said, “Be better, be different.” I would add “Be bold.” Today, we continue to think outside the box, just like Friedrich Merz did when he was inventing new solutions that catered to what people really needed, which was his big motivation. After realizing how sick and exhausted women were from having so many childbirths, he invented the first contraceptive for women, a spermicidal cream, despite heavy pressure from the Pope and the king who were very displeased, and later its prohibition by the Nazis. That was our first best-seller, and it served a real need. He also created the first face cream packaged in a tube to avoid germ contamination. For that he had to invent a machine to put it in tubes inspired by a sausage-filling machine! This led him to build a carrousel to better present the tubes and he suggested that pharmacies print their own individual labels. What this has taught us as a family is that innovation is first in the core product, then in the packaging, the marketing, and in the presentation. You can innovate at every level.
Our products reflect that mindset. Radiesse® was one of the first bio-stimulators to hit the market twenty years ago, and we’re still studying its properties after feedback from our KOLs, who want to put more focus on Radiesse’s effect in patients undergoing quick weight-loss protocols and facing sagging skin issues.
AALM: Merz Aesthetics is launching body indications for Ultherapy® treatments. Are these novel indications part of a “slow beauty” trend, which also works in a preventative approach?
D.H.: Slow beauty is not about quick fixes, it’s about how a person engages with their own physiological resources to produce their own solutions. I am very excited about the fact that we have two products that do that. What’s really wonderful is that we have Salma Hayek promoting Ultherapy® PRIME. She even invented the phrase “The future of beauty is energy”. I think that’s amazing! There’s so much truth in that. And where does the energy come from? It comes from empowerment. From confidence. That’s what our products strive to deliver. That’s why I am also very excited about our recent launch in China of our Incobotulinum Toxin A and Radiesse®
AALM: What’s your vision of aesthetic health and wellbeing and how do you see the future of Merz?
D.H.: We really need to think about innovation in all its aspects. For example, we love our fillers, we think they’re amazing, so why change a winning formula? But when you change the delivery system of that product, the new syringe makes it easier and more precise for doctors to use. I see the future of aesthetic medicine in providing patients with natural looking results. I really believe in that. It’s important that people look at themselves and feel empowered. Everything going in that direction is where the future is. We have a collaboration with the startup hub Futury in Frankfurt because we need to talk to young people. They have different ideas. They are the ones who bring the latest innovations. So, we believe it’s important to always cultivate your curiosity, and to listen. I see my role in helping to make Merz ready for the future, and I feel that the biggest aspect is sustainability, science, and safety. And of course, I get up every day to contribute to helping empower women. For example, one of our posters is a bright pink background with a dark-skinned woman wearing a pink headscarf and we had so many women from the Middle East taking selfies in front of that poster. That’s what diversity is all about, making people feel that they’re seen. I love that campaign which was designed to show that Merz makes products for all people.
Merz Aesthetics products are available in over 90 countries, and it makes me happy to be part of the aesthetics world.
