Tim McKnight named Senior Vice President, IT Risk Management & Security and Chief Information Security Officer at Merck

Merck appointed Tim McKnight as Senior Vice President, IT Risk Management & Security and Chief Information Security Officer, announced in May 2026; day-level precision has not been established from available coverage.

Merck's security chief oversees one of the most consequential estates in pharma — the company's NotPetya losses in 2017 ran over a billion dollars and reshaped how the industry, and its insurers, price cyber risk. A veteran operator with prior Fortune-scale CISO tenures stepping in signals continuity of that board-level posture.

McKnight will oversee cybersecurity strategies and lead global IT risk management initiatives at Merck, CDO Magazine reports. CDO Magazine says those strategies are focused on strengthening the company's risk posture across its operations and on safeguarding sensitive data. In the role, McKnight is to work closely with cross-functional teams to enhance compliance measures and security protocols across the enterprise, according to CDO Magazine.

CDO Magazine reports that McKnight has more than 30 years of experience as a security professional across the private sector and government service. His most recent post was Chief Information Security Officer at UnitedHealth Group, the publication says. Before that, McKnight was responsible for driving the global security program at SAP, where he served as EVP and Chief Security Officer, CDO Magazine reports. According to CDO Magazine, he earlier held senior security leadership roles at Northrop Grumman, Fidelity Investments, GE and Thomson Reuters.

He said he would partner with teams across Merck to strengthen resilience and help accelerate innovation, CDO Magazine reports.