Robert Davis to take over from Merck & Co's retiring Kenneth Frazier

4 February 2021

Kenneth Frazier (pictured), one of the biggest names in pharma, is to retire from his position of chief executive of Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) after a decade in the role.

Mr Frazier, who will continue to serve on Merck’s board of directors as executive chairman for an undefined period, will be replaced by Robert Davis, the US company’s current executive vice president, global services and chief financial officer.

"I plan to continue Ken’s focus on innovation as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company"Having joined Merck as chief financial officer in 2014, Mr Davis’ role was expanded in 2016 to include the company’s global support functions, which encompass corporate business development, investor relations, information technology, procurement, real estate operations, and corporate strategy.

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK