---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0000310158-26-000237"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "MRK"
cik: "0000310158"
company_name: "Merck & Co., Inc."
filed_at: "2026-10-13T16:36:57+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-10-13T16:38:02.826162+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.2
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.2
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Merck elects Paul J. Diaz to board effective Nov. 1, 2026; board grows to 14 members

## Summary
- Paul J. Diaz, managing partner at Cressey & Company, joins Merck's board effective Nov. 1, 2026 and will stand for shareholder election in May 2027.
- Diaz was appointed to both the Audit Committee and the Research Committee of the board.
- Diaz previously served as president and CEO of Myriad Genetics and, before that, as president and CEO of Kindred Healthcare.
- He also sits on the board of Centene Corporation, the Board of Trustees of Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Board of Visitors of Georgetown University Law Center.
- With Diaz's addition the Merck board will consist of 14 members; he receives standard non-employee director compensation.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0000310158-26-000237
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: MRK
- cik: 0000310158
- company_name: Merck & Co., Inc.
- filed_at: 2026-10-13T16:36:57+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.2
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.2
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/310158/000031015826000237/0000310158-26-000237-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/310158/000031015826000237/mrk-20261009.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000310158-26-000237
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000310158-26-000237.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000310158-26-000237.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Paul J. Diaz was elected as Director at Merck & Co., Inc..
  - Action: elected
  - Role: Director
  source text: Incorporated by reference is a press release issued by Merck & Co., Inc. (the “Company) on October 13, 2026, attached as Exhibit 99.1, announcing the election of Paul J. Diaz to the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), effective November 1, 2026.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/310158/000031015826000237/0000310158-26-000237-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.