Tim McKnight
SVP & CISO, Merck
Tim McKnight
Senior Vice President, IT Risk Management & Security and Chief Information Security Officer - Merck.
Tim is a cybersecurity executive with over 30 years of experience leading enterprise security, risk management, and technology transformation across global organizations. He is known for aligning cybersecurity strategy with business priorities to drive growth, resilience, and innovation.
Tim joined Merck after serving as the EVP & CISO of UnitedHealth Group. Previously, Tim served as EVP and Chief Security Officer at SAP and held senior executive CISO roles at Thomson Reuters, General Electric, and Fidelity Investments. He also held leadership positions at Northrop Grumman and Cisco Systems.
Tim began his career as a Special Agent with the FBI, specializing in cybercrime, corporate espionage, and national security investigations—experience that continues to inform his approach to risk leadership, public-private partnerships, and enterprise protection.
He has served on the NSA’s Cybersecurity Advisory Board, advised leading organizations including Google Cloud, AWS, and Tenable, and as Chairman of the Internet Security Alliance in Washington, DC. He also serves on Wake Forest University’s Deacon Club Board of Directors, supporting efforts to build a world-class student-athlete experience.
Tim is married to his high school sweetheart Robyn and has two children: Jack, an artificial intelligence software developer and Alexandra a medical student. Their family is rounded out by Bryn, a three-pound Maltese who takes her home-protection responsibilities very seriously.
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