Kenneth C. Frazier

Kenneth C. Frazier is the former Chairman and CEO of Merck, following his retirement from more than 30 years with the company, including a decade-long tenure as CEO.

In his retirement from Merck, Ken has committed himself to organizations dedicated to leading social change and building greater equity for all people. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of OneTen, a coalition of leading organizations committed to upskilling, hiring, and promoting one million Black Americans into family-sustaining jobs. In addition, he is Chairman, Health Assurance Initiatives, at the venture capital firm, General Catalyst, where he advises on investments and partnerships for companies that are well-positioned to help transform the healthcare industry through collaborative and responsible innovation.

Prior to joining Merck in 1992, Ken was a Partner with Drinker Biddle & Reath.  He sits on the boards of Weill Cornell Medicine, Eikon Therapeutics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the National Constitution Center, Paradigm, and Cornerstone Christian Academy in Philadelphia, PA. He also is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Council of the American Law Institute, the American Bar Association, and a Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.  Additionally, Ken is Co-Chair of the Legal Services Corporation’s Leaders Council.    

As a strong advocate for social justice and economic inclusion, Ken is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, especially in the legal, business, and humanitarian fields. Ken was named one of the World’s Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine and was also named TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, twice. He became the first recipient of the Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award for Healthcare and his peers named Ken Chief Executive magazine’s CEO of the Year.