Harjeet Kaur Virdi

Product Line Lead - Research IT

Merck & CO

Harjeet Virdi is a senior IT leader at Merck with over 25 years of experience delivering regulated, research-focused solutions to improve patient and customer outcomes. She joined Merck in 2000, advancing through various IT roles. 

Since January 2025, she has led Research IT, overseeing product teams focused on modernizing laboratory processes and animal farm operations to generate FAIR R&D data. Previously, she led Development IT for Merck Animal Health, managing portfolio governance, regulatory compliance, and value realization.

Harjeet specializes in strategic leadership of cross-functional teams, architecting scientific data systems, and post-merger integration. She also serves as the Rahway Tech Center lead for Animal Health IT at Merck. Dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, she acts as a global leader for the Asia Pacific Association of Merck, talent acquisition lead for the Merck Women Network, and Sikh Faith Ambassador for the Merck Interfaith Organization.

She serves on the boards of the South Asian Pharmaceutical Council and the Sikh Research Institute, and chairs the Monroe Township Human Relations Commission. She holds a BS from Delhi University, a master's from Drexel University, and certifications from Cornell and Oxford.