Slow News Friday: Black Enterprise Magazine Honors Mr. Frazier

Yep. . . Kinda' quiet on the news front. So I'll just mark this one, for the record. Among the thousands laid off, the views of his tenure may vary -- but it has been nearly three decades since Merck was in the top five of the leader pack -- of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (the "Big Caps") -- and so it is right now, through the first half of 2014. Results. They matter -- to shareholders.

I might argue that he is CEO of the Year (diverse or not so) -- in all of pharma, too. . . but Gilead's CEO might be a close contender, there. From the wires,then:

. . . .Kenneth Frazier, chief executive officer of Merck, has been named Corporate Executive of the Year. . . .

Since joining Merck in 1992, Frazier has held a broad range of management positions. Since taking the helm as CEO in 2011, Frazier and his management team have been responsible for increasing shareholder value, which has appreciated by 86%. For his leadership role in bolstering Merck's corporate performance, driving innovation, and exerting an impact on global health, Frazier has been selected as the 2014 BLACK ENTERPRISE Corporate Executive of the Year.

"We are extremely pleased to honor Merck Chairman and CEO Kenneth Frazier as this year's Corporate Executive of the Year," says BLACK ENTERPRISE CEO Earl "Butch" Graves Jr. "With this selection, we continue the tradition of recognizing an African American corporate leader who performs impeccably at the highest level. Ken represents one of the most visionary CEOs among those who run the world's largest publicly traded companies today. His brand of leadership has demonstrated that the infusion of innovation and diversity can produce a profitable organization that continually develops groundbreaking products, increases shareholder value, and has a tremendous global impact. . . ."

Do have a great August vacation week, ahead!