Merck Canada Obtains Gold Level Parity Certification from Women in Governance
KIRKLAND, QC., March 18, 2026 – Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, is proud to announce it has achieved a gold-level parity certification from Women in Governance for our Canadian subsidiary, a noteworthy achievement in the first year of the evaluation process. Women in Governance’s mission is to support women in their career advancement and leadership development, while supporting organizations working to close the gender gap in the workplace.
The parity certification process includes a rigorous review of criteria across all levels of an organization and addresses the multiple, intersectional impacts of diversity in women’s career advancement.
“Diversity and inclusion are part of Merck Canada’s DNA. As a biopharmaceutical company serving patients from every background, it is essential that our workforce reflects the diversity of the communities and patients we serve. When women are fully represented at every level, especially in leadership roles, we unlock the full potential of our talent, fuel innovation, and build a stronger, more sustainable company for the future,” said David Jones, Managing Director of Merck Canada.
From a large and engaged Women’s Network employee resource group to extensive gender inclusive benefits to a leadership team with over 60% female representation, Merck Canada is proud to be an inclusive company that promotes success, growth, and career advancement to employees of all backgrounds and identities.
“We are deeply committed to maintaining a workplace where everyone can thrive, and where gender balance is a lived reality, not just an aspiration. Our collaboration with Women in Governance is an important part of this journey, and achieving gender parity certification is a meaningful recognition of the concrete efforts we’ve made to build an equitable workplace. We see this certification not as a finish line, but as encouragement to keep raising the bar—continuing to listen, learn, and act so that every colleague feels included, valued, and empowered to contribute their best,” adds Marie-Claude Lapointe, Executive Director of Human Resources at Merck Canada.
About Merck
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information about our operations in Canada, visit www.merck.ca and connect with us on LinkedIn.
About Women in Governance
Women in Governance (WiG) supports women in their career advancement, leadership development, and ambitions to serve on Boards. They also help organizations achieve equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace with our Parity CertificationTM.. Learn more about the parity certification process here: Home – Parity Certification
© 2026 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved.
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