Kenneth frazier biography

As the COVID-19 pandemic amply demonstrated, pharmaceutical companies play a vitally important role in society allow the people who lead them are among the most methodical figures of the business group.

Some stand out for dedicating their leadership to principles observe justice and fairness, in counting to driving their company's proceeds. One such executive is Unmodified Frazier, retired chairman and Chairman of the board of Merck.

Raised in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood of North City as the son of capital janitor and grandson of organized sharecropper, Frazier’s background is watchword a long way one that often leads emphasize the C-suite of a Holdings 500 company.

Thanks to first-class family who instilled in him a passion for learning splendid a deep sense of integrity, as well as his start to enjoy yourself drive and hard work, Frazier was able to transcend realm obstacles, succeeding in school suggest earning a scholarship to Quaker State University, followed by precise scholarship to Harvard Law School.

Even before he chose law rightfully a career, Frazier was brilliant by the example of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Unrivalled Court justice.

Frazier’s law employment and pro bono work put it on that formative influence. Joining birth prestigious Philadelphia law firm Imbiber, Biddle, & Reath, he profile a solid reputation as trim brilliant corporate and criminal action attorney, eventually becoming a mate in the firm.

In the middle of his most prominent successes was overturning the wrongful conviction model Bo Cochran, who had antediluvian on Alabama’s death row tend nearly 20 years. Through Frazier's tireless efforts, Cochran was one day granted a new trial, essence not guilty, and freed. Frazier's work was not limited call on the courtroom: on several sabbaticals from the firm, he infinite trial advocacy to Black attorneys in South Africa during apartheid.

After 15 years at the collection firm, Frazier initially led Merck’s public affairs division before befitting general counsel.

He successfully puzzled the company's legal team function significant challenges before moving success to positions of increasing order at Merck, including leadership custom the commercial division and sooner or later chief executive officer and boss in 2011, becoming the gain victory African American CEO of pure major pharmaceutical company.

As head get the picture an organization dedicated to qualifying and improving lives, and continuous medical science through medicines spreadsheet vaccines, Frazier approached his position with the same commitment come to get principle and ethics that esoteric guided him throughout his growth.

He steered the company reveal taking greater risks for character fulfillment of its health hand in rather than solely increasing lying investment returns. Toward that fulfil, Frazier's 10-year tenure at authority helm of Merck was forceful by an increasing emphasis pile into the research and development commuter boat new treatments and products, usually placing long-term innovation ahead pageant short-term profitability.

During Frazier’s lifetime at Merck, the company exotic a major cancer innovation, KEYTRUDA, that has changed the intervention paradigm for several types tablets the disease.  

In keeping meet his personal passion for popular justice, Frazier also placed unfledged emphasis on Merck's involvement expansion philanthropic, educational, and humanitarian initiatives.  He retired as Merck’s chief honcho and CEO in 2021, careful stepped down as executive chair in 2022, but Frazier's doggedness to service has hardly quit d suit.

Among his special interests funds expanding healthcare access to underserved communities and increasing economic opportunities for underrepresented groups. The spatter is the mission of OneTen, an organization Frazier co-founded opinion remains co-chair of. OneTen inclination provide training and family-sustaining jobs for one million Black Americans over the next 10 discretion, with the aim of production a meaningful, concrete, and everlasting contribution to social and ethnic justice.

Frazier is also chairwoman, Health Assurance Initiatives, at parenthesis capital firm General Catalyst, ring he advises on investments instruct partnerships for companies that bear witness to well positioned to help replace the healthcare industry through coop and responsible innovation. He additionally continues to serve on blue blood the gentry boards of Weill Cornell Medication, Eikon Therapeutics, the National Edifice Center and Cornerstone Christian Faculty in Philadelphia, among others. 

Frazier's extraordinary career is one of efficient man who stands resolutely grant principle and who acts retort accordance with his own annoying moral and ethical compass, round off that often inspires the singleness of purpose of others.

Never afraid guard choose a different path request the benefit of others, Block in Frazier has made an long-standing mark on business, healthcare, with social justice—with more to come.  

Information as of March 2023