Chief Privacy Officer, Merck & Co., Inc. (USA)

Chris is the Chief Privacy Officer at Merck.  Heading the Global Privacy Office, an integral part of the Ethics & Compliance Organization, he leads a global team of privacy professionals that oversees the governance and functioning of the Global Privacy Program. Through its standards, specifications, external certifications and guidance, the Global Privacy Office supports a network of 250+ Privacy Stewards embedded within the various operating divisions and global support functions of the Company, and ensures accountability by the business for its activities.

Chris spent his first 20 years with the Company in the Office of the General Counsel, thereafter joining the Global Privacy Office in September 2018.  He has been Chief Privacy Officer since August 2023.  He advocates the Company’s interests externally in several fora, including EFPIA’s Data Governance Working Group, IAF and dplegal.  Chris has spoken widely at privacy and legal conferences, webinars and roundtables on topics including the complexities of international data transfers between the Europe and the United States and the European Health Data Space.

Before joining the Company, Chris worked as a corporate attorney at two private law firms. He earned his B.A (Government), J.D. and LL.M. from the University of Texas, University of Georgia, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, respectively.