Michaela Herdick

The Head of Integration Office is a senior leadership role responsible for leading the seamless integration of SpringWorks Therapeutics’ operations, culture, and strategic objectives into Merck Healthcare. This position ensures alignment with Merck’s mission, values, and long-term goals, while maximizing synergies and achieving strategic objectives during mergers and acquisitions. Reporting directly to the Global Head of the Rare Tumor Business, the Head of Integration Office is also a member of the Executive Leadership Team and collaborates across functions to deliver successful integration outcomes. The role requires a combination of strategic vision, operational expertise, and exceptional stakeholder management skills, working closely with the Head of Strategic Operations, the Global Head of the Rare Tumor Business as well as other members of the Executive Leadership Team of the Rare Tumor Business in particular, HR and Finance.

• Company Overview: Healthcare entity of MercKGAa developed pioneering and intelligent device to create cancer and multiple sclerosis with 66,000 employees and €22 billion in revenue.
• Promoted to lead R&D transformation, critically shaping and leading the design and implementation of strategic research and development (R&D) transformation programs, overseeing the design and implementation of critical imperatives and associated initiatives. Mentored team of 20 directors and oversaw international project teams of 120 associates, administering an annual budget totaling €25 million.
• Directed robust change management, providing ongoing and transparent communication, utilizing continuous learning methodologies, building the culture and competencies necessary to drive R&D simplification, operation excellence while reporting to the executive VP of R&D.
• Appointed as a member of the Healthcare Sustainability Board to lead design for sustainability in R&D.
• Secured €200 million savings by completing an R&D transformation including running ambitious schedules, assigning deliverables, aligning with key stakeholders, employing agile methodology, and maintaining constant communication with senior management.
• Delivered a €100 million, 18-month project, reducing cycle processes by leading a cross-functional transformation assignment with multiple aligned work streams designed to increase the speed and lower the cost of R&D development programs.
• Achieved 30%+ time reduction in governance of this capacity, implementing a stringent and cohesive governance model.
• Facilitated 20%+ reduction in headcount, personnel, scores for global leadership design and launching dedicated investor program.
• Reduced enrollment cycle time by more than 130 days by establishing new operations within the global clinical development organization with enhanced organizational design.
• Achieved Merck High Impact Culture & Leadership award with recognition from all three sectors for transforming the R&D approach, redesigning the entire organization and freeing up +€100 million to reinvest elsewhere, shaping the pipeline to source more than 50% of future assets.
• Coordinated stakeholder involvement throughout transformation projects to ensure alignment with organizational goals and objectives.
• Spearheaded the development of comprehensive risk management plans aimed at mitigating potential threats associated with transformation efforts.
• Product Strategy & Innovation, Quality & Performance Improvement, Communication, Change Management, Diversity Initiatives, Talent Expansion, Healthcare & Pharmaceutical, Data Analysis for Informed Decision-Making, Recruitment & Leadership, Diverse Teams, Budget & Operational Planning, Workforce Planning, Performance Metrics Collection & Reporting, System Ownership

• Tasked with driving strategic change initiatives for the executive board of MercK, designing and implementing strategic communication and transformation programs across the MercK Group including group strategy, Unite for Growth sustainability strategy, and similar programs reported to the senior vice president and head of corporate communication to develop and integrate the change management function, attaining an organization aligning 55,000 employees, mentoring staff of 15, a budget of €2 million. Served as the change management representative on corporate strategic committees, including the corporate public policy and diversity council.
• Championed sustainability as a key element of overall strategy with 7.5% of the overall MercK scorecard by developing strategic communication plan outlining the impact of the strategy and activating it toward 55,000 employees.
• Awarded the most important German award online communications by DPOK for the communication campaign MercK's global strategy, enhancing efforts for digital audience-specific activities.
• Generated several hundred million in savings by developing a zero-based budgeting communication campaign.
• Established the focused reach to 10,000 non-officer workers allowing them to participate in company internal dialogues via the digital format of MercK's employee thought leadership.
• Champion sustainability, Key element of overall strategy, 7.5% of overall MercK scorecard, Strategic communication plan, Digital audience-specific activities, Zero-based budgeting communication campaign, Digital format of MercK's employee thought leadership

• Directed internal MercK Group communications, designing content and overseeing communication channels geared toward managers and employees, reported to the senior vice president and head of corporate communication. Supervised 25 associates, worked with a €2 million annual budget, and designed a mix of required communication channels to deliver audience-specific messages to different employee segments.
• Enhanced existing intranet adopted by all 55,000 MercK employees within six months, achieving 90% audience reach for each article by redesigning the platform to fit the purpose.
• Developed and implemented auto-translation functionality for all articles and comment functions on the social intranet for 25 languages within six months and increased to 30 as a next step.
• Achieved 94% acceptance rate on fee shares by employees as part of the 350 years celebration via a communication campaign.
• Launched communication approach cascading the company strategy into the organization achieving 90%+ strategy well-understood scoring within six months among 200 top leaders, 10,000 managers, and 55,000 employees.
• Received several INKOMET awards, such as the company print magazine and app bridging print and online and the company strategy communication approach.
• Internal MercK Group communications, Designing content, Communication channels, Audience-specific messages, Intranet adoption, Auto-translation functionality, Communication campaign, INKOMET awards

• Supervised the global R&D function with a corporate mandate to execute end-to-end solutions for strategic initiatives driven by, or derived from, MercK Corporate or MercK Healthcare. This scope included the project timeline from gap evaluation to the design phase through full implementation and training a team of 250 then this skill required for the R&D organization. Reported to the vice president of strategy and business operations and managed a budget of €25 million.
• Reduced €50 million (67%) external spending by aligning the portfolio for 70+ key initiatives to the newly defined R&D strategy.
• Developed R&D strategy with several work streams targeting key processes below industry benchmark and turned around reach industry benchmark measures in CMR.
• Developed and deployed several collaborations tools for clinical trial and program teams, improving the collaboration of 30+ teams with over 1,000 FTEs.
• Global R&D function, Corporate mandate, Strategic initiatives, Project timeline, Full implementation, R&D organization, External spending, R&D strategy, Collaboration tools

• Commanded the global function, reported to the senior vice president of global clinical operations, and completed a broad range of activities supporting global clinical operations (GCO) and the international R&D organization, continuous learning and development, performance and metrics, operating quality, medical writing, and clinical application solutions, transitioned work into a new operating model, establishing a new approach for R&D training. Maintained a budget of €30 million p.a., recruited and trained a 75-person staff.
• Generated €300 million in savings and a 50% headcount reduction through a new sourcing model, outsourcing clinical trials to a preferred partner and reducing oversight and internal activities to a minimum.
• Achieved 85% training compliance rate building a state-of-the-art functional training center for the R&D organization, where more than 500 employees (internal and external) received regular training based on their assigned business areas.
• Reduced medical writing timeline by 50%, reaching industry benchmarks by rigorously adjusting the review process and tools and attaining reviewer comments and methodology.
• Global function, Senior vice president, Global clinical operations, International R&D organization, Continuous learning and development, Performance and metrics, Operating quality, Medical writing, Clinical application solutions, New sourcing model, Functional training center

• Oversaw the global group responsible for supervising cross-functional activities related to managerial and organizational development topics within the medical science and innovation (MSI) department. Reported to the head of MSI, provided R&D support, recruited and mentored team of five, and adhered to an annual budget totaling €25 million.
• Ground up built the most successful strategy for the development of innovation capabilities that then were created a function of medical science and innovation (MSI).
• Increased compliance with industry by 15% annually by driving innovation activities to success.
• Developed the first biomarker strategy and integrated it into all future product development plans in the pipeline enabling successful launch of Erbitux, Avelumab, and other oncology compounds.
• Deepened the understanding of R&D strategy by the top 200 leaders of MercK Group in a presentation at the annual flagship event.
• Global group, Cross-functional activities, Managerial and organizational development, Medical science and innovation, R&D support, Innovation capabilities, Biomarker strategy, Product development plans
• Developed high-performing teams by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
• Enhanced team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations.