Belén Garijo

Belén Garijo joined Merck in 2011 as chief operating officer of its biopharma division. She swiftly rose the ranks to CEO of its health care business sector in 2015, before taking the group’s helm in 2021. The promotion made Garijo the company's first female CEO in its 355-year history. Under Garijo, the number of women in leadership positions at Merck sits at a record high of 39%; the company aims to reach gender parity globally by 2030. Since Garijo took the reins, the company has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 25%. When it comes to the bottom line, net income has more than doubled from $1.32 billion in 2019 to just over $3 billion in 2023.