A former federal prosecutor who cares deeply about social justice, Yvonne O. Osirim co-chairs the Harvard Alumni Association’s Anti-Racism Working Group.

Osirim is executive director of human health (HH) ethics and compliance at Merck & Co., where she has served in a variety of roles, including executive director of HH commercial development and director of U.S. government investigations. She was previously an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and a litigation associate at Ropes & Gray, LLP, and Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP. 

As co-chair of the HAA Anti-Racism Working Group, Osirim helped design and facilitate workshops for the HAA board members to enhance leadership skills through public narrative. She has been an active member of the Harvard Black Alumni Society (HBAS) since law school, serving as president, vice president, secretary, and advisory board member. During her time as HBAS president, she collaborated with other HAA Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) to launch Unity Weekend, the first conference celebrating Harvard alumni communities of color. 

“I am incredibly passionate about social justice, an outgrowth of my upbringing and my time as a federal criminal prosecutor, and improving equitable access to economic, political, and social rights. As an attorney by discipline, I am adaptive, and I hope to apply my skills in analytical thinking, driving consensus, and building trust to supporting Clubs and SIGs and integrating anti-racism into the priorities and everyday work of the alumni community.”