Dr John Markels | President
Merck Vaccines

John Markels is President of Global Vaccines at Merck. Merck, with a $7 billion vaccines business, is a global leader providing a broad portfolio of pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines to the world. In this role, John aims to drive a dramatic increase in the reach and public health impact of vaccines, by leading an integrated team across Merck dedicated to discovery and development, supply and access, and global marketing and long-term strategy across the portfolio. 

John brings greater than 30 years of pharmaceutical experience to this role.  Immediately preceding this appointment, John was President, Latin America, where he successfully led Merck’s business across the region to strong double-digit growth.

Prior to his roles in Merck’s Commercial Division, John had a long career in Manufacturing, with senior roles in both the Science and Technology and Operations organizations.  Most recently, he was Sr. Vice President of Emerging Markets in the Merck Manufacturing Division, with responsibility for manufacturing sites in Latin America and Asia Pacific as well as business development, alliance management, and supply chain.  Over the course of his career, he has lived and worked in both Europe and Latin America as well as the US.

Dr. Markels received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware.