diff --git a/src/github_sdk.py b/src/github_sdk.py
index cf28d01..6744e70 100644
--- a/src/github_sdk.py
+++ b/src/github_sdk.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def _get_extra_metadata(self, job):
         repo = runs["repository"]["full_name"]
         meta = {
             # "workflow_name": workflow["name"],
-            "author": runs["head_commit"]["author"],
+            "author": _get_author(runs),
             # https://getsentry.atlassian.net/browse/TET-22
             # Tags are not linkified externally, plain text data can be selected in browsers and opened
             "data": {
@@ -148,6 +148,20 @@ def send_trace(self, job):
             return self._send_envelope(trace)
 
 
+def _get_author(runs):
+    head_commit = runs.get("head_commit") or {}
+    author = head_commit.get("author")
+    if author:
+        return author
+
+    actor = runs.get("triggering_actor") or runs.get("actor") or {}
+    login = actor.get("login")
+    if login:
+        return {"username": login}
+
+    return {}
+
+
 def _base_transaction(job):
     return {
         "event_id": get_uuid(),
diff --git a/tests/test_github_sdk.py b/tests/test_github_sdk.py
index 7f7e401..b64bb94 100644
--- a/tests/test_github_sdk.py
+++ b/tests/test_github_sdk.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from sentry_sdk.utils import format_timestamp
 
 from src.github_sdk import GithubClient
+from src.github_sdk import _get_author
 
 DSN = "https://foo@random.ingest.sentry.io/bar"
 TOKEN = "irrelevant"
@@ -110,6 +111,42 @@ def test_trace_generation_with_failing_steps(
     assert trace["tags"]["event"] == "push"
 
 
+def test_get_author_prefers_head_commit_author(jobA_runs):
+    assert _get_author(jobA_runs) == {
+        "name": "Ahmed Etefy",
+        "email": "ahmed.etefy12@gmail.com",
+    }
+
+
+def test_get_author_falls_back_to_triggering_actor_for_null_head_commit(jobA_runs):
+    jobA_runs["event"] = "merge_group"
+    jobA_runs["head_commit"] = None
+    jobA_runs["triggering_actor"]["login"] = "merge-queue-user"
+
+    assert _get_author(jobA_runs) == {"username": "merge-queue-user"}
+
+
+@responses.activate
+def test_trace_generation_with_null_head_commit(jobA_job, jobA_runs, jobA_workflow):
+    jobA_runs["event"] = "merge_group"
+    jobA_runs["head_commit"] = None
+
+    responses.get(
+        jobA_job["run_url"],
+        json=jobA_runs,
+    )
+    responses.get(
+        jobA_runs["workflow_url"],
+        json=jobA_workflow,
+    )
+
+    client = GithubClient(dsn=DSN, token=TOKEN)
+    trace = client._generate_trace(jobA_job)
+
+    assert trace["tags"]["event"] == "merge_group"
+    assert trace["user"] == {"username": "ahmedetefy"}
+
+
 @freeze_time()
 @responses.activate
 @patch("src.github_sdk.get_uuid")