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geralyn ritter 220x220 - Geralyn Ritter

Geralyn Ritter

Head of External Affairs & ESG, Organon

Bio Current as of August 29, 2022

Ms. Ritter is Organon’s Executive Vice President and Head of External Affairs and ESG, leading the global communications, public policy and government affairs, and ESG sustainability functions of the company. She is focused on advancing Organon’s vision by developing the company’s strategy in each of these areas, leading its implementation, and engaging with the company’s many stakeholders. Ms. Ritter joined Organon from Merck, where, from 2012 to 2020, she served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Secretary and Assistant General Counsel advising Merck’s board of directors and executive team and leading shareholder engagement on corporate governance matters. During this time, Ms. Ritter was also Head of Global Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility from 2012 to 2014, the Merck department she joined in 2008, and until 2014, was also responsible for public policy, government affairs, ESG reporting and corporate philanthropy. Ms. Ritter also served as President of the Merck Foundation from 2009 to 2015. Previously, Ms. Ritter was Senior Vice President at Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and worked at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP. A survivor of traumatic injury, Ms. Ritter is a passionate advocate, author and frequent speaker on the topics of resilience, wellness and trauma recovery. She co-chairs the Patient and Family Advisory Council at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and is a board member of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, Business for Social Responsibility, and Power to Decide. Ms. Ritter received a master’s degree in international economics and European politics from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at John Hopkins University, a J.D. from Stanford University School of Law, and an undergraduate degree from Duke University.