Kathryn Gibbs started her career at Merck in 1992 as an assistant engineer in the Global Engineering Solutions (GES) organization managing laboratory projects on the Rahway, NJ Campus. Kathryn spent the next 15 years in GES managing a steady progression and variety of projects supporting labs and offices and large utility/infrastructure distribution projects in the Northeast Corridor, including capital project execution, technical and site support, and continuous improvement of related work practices. Kathryn has been responsible for the successful completion of over 5 million square feet and over $600 million. She has significant experience in campus and utility master planning.
In 2006, Kathryn transitioned into The Global Real Estate Organization (GRES) responsible for developing and implementing the long-term strategic occupancy plan for all business functions across the global enterprise by assessing portfolio demand, capacity, utilization, and other KPI’s, and develop planning solutions that satisfied proximity requirements, ensured functional adjacencies, and aligned the portfolio with Merck’s key business drivers and Real Estate strategy.
Kathryn took on additional responsibilities and became responsible for the development, socialization and management of Merck’s Workplace Strategy and standards to provide optimal real estate solutions to meet the business needs of Merck. She worked closely with Merck Executive Leadership to facilitate the NJ/PA Real Estate Consolidation (Relocation of Merck’s Headquarters and closure of key campuses in NJ/PA Corridor), which included relocating thousands of employees between locations in NJ/PA and overseeing $100+ MM of HQ capital construction associated with the HQ consolidation.
Along with development, socialization and management of Merck’s Workplace Strategies, Kathryn became a passionate and staunch advocate for Disability Inclusion. She is committed to creating a built environment that improves employee performance, health and wellness, safety and social participation that can be used by all. She is leading Merck in ensuring projects around the globe understand what Universal Design is and why it is so important to be inclusive in design and construction. Kathryn spoke at the 2019 Disability: IN Conference on this topic.
Kathryn shifted into a Project Engineering & Capital Planning role in 2017 and became responsible for managing The Global Workplace & Enterprise Services (GWES) $2.6 B Global Capital Plan. Kathryn helped to mentor projects teams in all regions around the World so they could understand best practices in project delivery.
In late 2019, Kathryn decided to step out of her Global role to come back to where it all began in Rahway, NJ. Kathryn is working on strategic projects supporting the NA Facilities Site..
Kathryn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering Technology from NJIT and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from NJIT. She is also a certified Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Change Agent, Project Management Professional, and a Sustainability Facility Professional. Kathryn also holds Senior Leader Corporate Real Estate and Master Corporate Real Estate certifications. She is a member of Corenet Global, PMI and IFMA.
