Deirdre Connelly

Deirdre P. Connelly (born in 1961) is a Puerto Rican business professional. Connelly is the first woman to hold that title, and one of only two women on GSK's corporate executive team.

Early years Connelly, the middle child of nine, was born to Irish-American Owen Connelly and Puerto Rican mother Dolores Montecinos in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she spent the first 18 years of her life. Connolly earned a bachelor's degree in economics and marketing from Lycoming College in Pennsylvania in 1983. She attended Harvard University's Advanced Management Program in 2000. She currently resides in Philadelphia and has fourteen nieces and nephews, from ages 10 to 35. Connelly plays guitar recreationally. In 1984, Connelly became a sales representative for Eli Lilly in San Juan. In 2026, she is on the boards at Lincoln Financial Group and Macy's Corporation. She is also chair of Genmab A/B.

In 2007 she was appointed to President Bush Commission on White House Fellowships, where she helped in the selection of the White House Fellows, a prestigious annual program that fosters leadership and public service.