Karen Talarico is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of New Jersey with experience in audit, financial reporting and enterprise risk management. Currently, Karen is an Executive Director at Merck & Co where she leads the development and execution of various financial, business and compliance audit activities. She also acts as a business partner, assessing complex business scenarios and providing guidance on risk-mitigation strategies. Karen began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she advised clients across Fortune 100 companies in the pharmaceuticals and life sciences industry.

Karen is an alumni of the Congressional Award Program, achieving the Gold Medal. Karen completed the Cornell Executive Women’s Leadership Program and she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from The College of New Jersey. Karen received the 2022 Emerging Leader Award from the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants. Karen currently serves on the Board of Directors of Herself Co., a non-profit dedicated to supporting the mental health of young women.