Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced that Renee Connolly has been appointed Chief Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Officer, effective August 1. She will take over from Jennifer O’Lear, who will pursue new opportunities within Merck, and become a member of the company’s Human Resources leadership team.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are core to our culture and an essential part of our innovation and business priorities. We aim to accelerate and broaden our DE&I efforts to create an environment where every Merck employee can grow and develop”, said Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck. “Renee Connolly will provide global leadership to advancing our DE&I strategy to deliver on our future ambitions.”

Connolly has been with Merck for more than 17 years and served as Head of Communications for the company’s Life Science business sector since 2013. She is a U.S. citizen and will continue to be based in Burlington, Massachusetts, United States.