About MERLINE

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Merline leads the Enterprise Risk Management function at the Port Authority of NY and NJ. In this capacity, she is responsible for developing and implementing an ERM program, that supports the proactive management of risks to the complex, quasi-government organization, spanning 2 states and 5 major business segments, with several billion dollars in gross operating revenue. 

Merline leads the enterprise-wide identification and assessment of significant operational, emerging, and strategic risks and reports the agency’s risk profile to the Board of Commissioners. She collaborates with c-suite executives to integrate risk intelligence in decision making and key agency processes. She also leads a team of practitioners, responsible for assisting business units with the identification, evaluation and management of business risks and controls.  

Prior to her career in ERM, Merline successfully completed a competitive management rotational program at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, during which she led initiatives in areas including human capital, change management, strategic planning, finance, and grant management. Merline has been a featured speaker at global conferences including the Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management (AFERM) annual summit and the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) annual Enterprise Risk conference, on topics including best practices, ERM’s value proposition and the integration of ERM with strategy. An active member of the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS), Merline currently serves on the RIMS Nominating and Governance Committee, which identifies, recruits, and formally nominates Society members to serve on the RIMS Board of Directors. 

Merline holds a Certified Risk Management Professional designation (RIMS- CRMP)  from the Risk & Insurance Management Society and a Master of Public Administration-Public Policy (MPA-PPA) from the City University of New York, John Jay College.