In this episode of the Data Masterclass Podcast, Aleksejs Plotnikovs sits down with Mariana Hebborn, Global Head of HR Data & AI at Merck KGaA, to explore how one of the world's leading science and technology companies is transforming Human Resources through Data and AI.

Mariana shares her journey from computational linguistics and healthcare data into HR Data & AI leadership, explaining why people data is one of the most impactful—and challenging—data domains in any organization.

The conversation covers the evolution of Merck's HR data strategy, from addressing fundamental data quality challenges to building a scalable governance model based on ownership, data products, and cross-functional collaboration. Mariana also discusses how trusted data creates the foundation for AI adoption and why successful transformation depends more on people than technology.