Jeff Smisek: United Airlines CEO

Jeff Smisek was born in 1954. Early on Jeff already belonged at the top of the heap graduating with A.B. summa cum laude in economics from the prestigious Princeton University in 1976. He did just as well at Harvard Law School finishing with a J.D. magna cum laude in 1982.

Jeff became a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP. While working there he specialized in corporate finance and securities law. Then he took a major career change joining the airline industry in March 1995 as senior vice president and general counsel for Continental Airlines. He then began to take on various positions of increasing responsibility.

Jeff was promoted to president in December 2004 and also became a board member.  He became president and chief operating officer in September 2008. In this role he was responsible for airline operations, inflights, airports, catering, cargo, maintenance, and technical operations, and also human resources and labor relationships, global real estate, among other functions.

On January 1, 2010 he became the chairman and chief executive officer of Continental Airlines. There was also a merger with United Airlines in the same year. Jeff eventually became the chairman, president and chief executive officer of the merged companies United Airlines which is owned by United Continental Holdings. He leads United and its United Express regional partner airlines which operate almost 5,500 flights a day to more than 370 airports in six continents.

The airline industry has experienced some very tough times and United has had its share of problems. Jeff who was named Aviation Week’s Person of the Year in 2010 has been busy trying to address the problems.

Jeff serves on the board of directors for National Oilwell Varco, Inc. He is on the Baker Institute Board of Advisers and the Board of Trustees of Rice University as well. Jeff is also vice chairman of the Board of Airlines for America. 

Kenneth Frazier: Merck CEO

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.

Merck is a leading global healthcare company and one of the largest in the world. Its scientists have helped to find new ways to treat and prevent illnesses such as the discovery of vitamin B1 and the first measles vaccine. 

Bringing Change To AMEX: Kenneth Chenault

As a child Kenneth Chenault was known by his parent to be exceptionally intelligent but just didn’t seem to have the desire to excel. His parents were both academically accomplished and had successful professions. It was while studying in a private high school that he finally found the motivation to excel with the help of the school head.  He graduated as class president, captain of the soccer, track, and basketball team teams.

He went on to Bowdoin College and afterwards obtained a law degree from Harvard Law School. He spent some time as a corporate lawyer. Then Chenault became a management consultant at Bain & Company before joining AMEX in 1981 as director of Strategic Planning in Travel Related Services.

In 1982 he joined the low performing merchandise-services unit and turned it sales from $100 million to $700 million in three years. From there his stock rose.  In the early 1990s Chenault was head of the domestic consumer-card division which was floundering and managed to turn it around.  With new programs he was able to bring in more card holders and more merchants.

Chenault was assigned to handle the U.S. Travel Services. Along with the AMEX CEO at that time he was able to realize savings reaching $3 billion while also increasing profit and increasing the number of card holders.  For all the changes he accomplishments Chenault was appointed vice-chairman in 1995 and became president and COO two years later. He became AMEX CEO in 2001 and currently holds the position.

His rise to the top was due to his outstanding performance. What has made his achievement more notable was he is one of the few blacks to do so.