Kenneth
Frazier earned his bachelor’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University and
obtained a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Kenneth practiced law and was a
partner with the Philadelphia law firm Drinker Biddle & Reath. While still
in the field of law he made a change in his career joining Merck in 1992 as
vice president, general counsel and secretary of the Astra Merck Group.
Since
joining Merck Kenneth’s only direction has been up. He was appointed vice
president of Public Affairs in 1994, and in 1997, assumed the additional
responsibilities of assistant general counsel, corporate staff. In January 1999 he went up the ladder as vice
president and deputy general counsel. By the end of the year he was promoted
senior vice president and general counsel. He oversaw the legal and public
affairs functions of Merck and The Merck Company Foundation.
Kenneth
was promoted to executive vice president and general counsel in November 2006.
From 2007 to May 2010 he service as executive vice president and president,
Global Human Health. Kenneth then served as president of Merck overseeing the
company’s three major division: Global Human Health, Merck’s sales and
marketing division for pharmaceutical and vaccine products; Merck Manufacturing
Division, Merck’s manufacturing and supply; and Merck Research Laboratories,
Merck’s research organization. With his performance he became CEO and member of
the board of directors in January 1, 2011 and was elected chairman of the board
on December 1, 2011.
Some
may have expected a trained business executive or someone with a pharmaceutical
background to be heading Merck. Yet when we deal with healthcare we also have
to deal with a host of rules and regulations governing the industry. So having
someone with a law background has its own advantages.
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