Mr. Duran joined Merck in September 2018, to the newly created position of Director, Global Public Policy for China.  Based in Washington, D.C., he drives policy advocacy development and implementation for Merck’s priorities in the People’s Republic of China.  He represents Merck’s interests in these markets before the U.S. and foreign governments, think tanks, trade associations and alliance partners.

Prior to joining Merck, Mr. Duran was the Chief of Staff and Director for International Advocacy at Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the industry’s premier trade association, where he supported China and Middle East advocacy.  He also worked at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce China Center, driving advocacy for American businesses in China.

Previously, Mr. Duran spent over a decade in the U.S. government, focused on international affairs.  He held positions at the Departments of Justice and Defense, respectively, focused on international law enforcement development, with deployments to Bangkok, Thailand and Kabul, Afghanistan. He also served at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing with the Department of State. He holds an MBA from Rutgers University’s China program, and a BA from the University of Michigan. He resides in Washington, D.C.