Inspired to achieve

In a single-parent home, Kenneth Frazier, ExxonMobil's newest director, learned the values that shaped his rise to the senior ranks of a major corporation.

“My father was 10 feet tall in my eyes,” says Kenneth Frazier, recently elected to the Exxon Mobil Corporation Board of Directors.

Frazier is executive vice president and president, global human health, at Merck & Co., Inc., one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies.

“My father was the most important person in my life,” says Frazier, “not just because he raised my brother, sister and me but because of the kind of person he was.”

Frazier was born and raised in Philadelphia. His mother died in the 1960s, leaving his father, a janitor for United Parcel Service, to raise their children.

“My father had a demanding physical job,” Frazier says, “but he was fully present for his children. He taught himself to read and write and impressed upon us the importance of education. He instilled in us a sense of confidence and propriety and the belief that we could achieve anything if we were willing to work hard.”

From law firm to corporation
Frazier attended Pennsylvania State University, graduating in 1975 with a degree in political science. He received a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School in 1978.

His interest in the law grew out of his admiration for the role lawyers could play in society. “I grew up in the 1960s. Some people think of that period as a time of turbulence, but it was also a time of valuable social change. Many of my heroes were lawyers who helped bring about that change,” he says.

He points to Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American appointed to the Supreme Court, as a key role model.

After graduating from Harvard, Frazier joined a law firm in Philadelphia as a defense trial lawyer. “I represented a number of large corporations, chiefly Merck and other drug companies,” he says. “I was impressed by Merck’s commitment to scientific excellence and human welfare.”

Frazier joined Merck in 1992 as vice president, general counsel and secretary of the Astra Merck group. He says he moved from private legal practice to the corporate world for two reasons. “First, I was impressed by Merck’s role in improving patients’ lives. Second, my wife told me to.”

Frazier met his wife, Andrea, when she was dean of placement at New York University law school. “I married a woman who was aware of broader opportunities in the law,” he says.

“She recognized my interest in Merck and its role in society and encouraged me to make the transition.”

Helping those in need
Frazier has received numerous awards for his personal pro bono legal work. He places special importance on his efforts on behalf of prisoners facing the death penalty.

One such case lasted 10 years. As a result of Frazier’s representation, the prisoner’s death sentence was set aside, he received a second trial, and he was eventually acquitted. Frazier considers that his greatest legal achievement.

“It’s not a question of being for or against the death penalty,” he points out. “It’s to ensure that everyone gets a fair trial and equal justice regardless of their circumstances.”

His work on the case earned him the Laurie D. Zelon Award for extraordinary achievement by an individual in pro bono and public service, awarded by the Pro Bono Institute at Georgetown University Law Center. Frazier received the award at a reception at the United States Supreme Court attended by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Frazier says some of his most rewarding work has involved abused and neglected children. “They are the most defenseless people in our society.”

Balancing two careers
The Fraziers have two children. Their 20-year-old daughter, Lauren, is an engineering major at the University of Pennsylvania. Their son, James, 14, is a freshman in high school and is active in sports.

Andrea Frazier teaches international politics at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Merck’s world headquarters is in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. To accommodate the commutes of both spouses, the family makes their home in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, which is about halfway between Philadelphia and Whitehouse Station.

“We have equal commutes,” Frazier says. “My wife goes south, and I go north.”

Frazier enjoys reading and attending his son’s football and baseball games. He follows Penn State football “religiously.”

Perspective on ExxonMobil                                                                                                                  
Frazier says he brings a “real willingness and eagerness to learn about ExxonMobil’s business” to his position as director.

He notes that two words best describe ExxonMobil: discipline and focus.

“I’m especially struck by the excellence and integrity of ExxonMobil people,” he says. “They have a genuine commitment to the company’s business goals, to the shareholders, to the environment, and to the health and safety of employees.”

Frazier says he is looking forward to learning more as he gains experience as a director. “It’s a phenomenal opportunity to work with one of the world’s leading companies, irrespective of industrial sector.”