Merck Taps Tom Sayer as Global Head of Talent Acquisition

Tom Sayer has taken on a new role as Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Merck, effective October 2026. Based in London, he comes from over a decade-long tenure at Accenture, where he held senior positions across global recruiting, assessments, capability development, and recruitment transformation.

Sayer brings more than two decades of experience in recruitment and talent acquisition to the role, with a background spanning recruitment strategy, operating model transformation, talent assessment, capability development, and change management. His focus on hiring transformation has been particularly prominent during his time at Accenture.

Before joining Merck, Sayer was Director, Global Recruiting Reinvention at Accenture from February 2025 to September 2026. He led initiatives focused on reshaping recruitment through technology, operating model changes, and AI-enabled processes. His experience covers recruitment transformation, assessment design, capability building, workforce planning, and recruitment technology.

Sayer's appointment comes as organisations continue to reshape recruitment around technology, assessment methods, workforce capabilities, and candidate experience. In his new role, he will lead Merck’s global talent acquisition function across its businesses, including Life Science, Healthcare, and Electronics.