Wednesday, December 10, 2014

CDC's Former Chief Now Global Health Czar -- At Whitehouse Station: Promotion Makes Eminent Good Sense


I now suspect more than one of the "elite tier" of pharma and life science companies will soon follow suit, and unify the "compassionate science" sections of their businesses, under one global leader.

And Merck could not have found a finer leader, in this regard. She has served admirably, as the global head of the company's vaccines businesses, since 2010. From today's press release, reprinted by the Fort Mills Times then, a bit:

. . . .[She will now] be responsible for Merck’s global public policy, corporate responsibility and communications functions, as well as the Merck Foundation and the Merck for Mothers program. Gerberding will also lead new partnership initiatives that accelerate Merck’s ability to contribute to improved population health, a measure of impact that is increasingly valued by governments and other global health organizations.

"Julie has been instrumental in making Merck’s vaccines more accessible and affordable, particularly in emerging markets and many of the world’s most resource-limited countries,” said Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “Julie’s leadership of our vaccines business and her exceptional track record in both the public and private sectors make her ideally suited to lead these areas and to advance our engagement with organizations around the world that, like Merck, are working to advance population health. . . .”


Onward, and upward!


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't you think this is really more of JG getting sidelined to a non-revenue making unit? Particularly at the time when Vaccines are growing and the Company is in crisis?

Condor said...

I hear you. But I don't think Merck is "in crisis" any longer -- it leads the Dow 50, on share price appreciation this year.

But I agree that Vaccines is a very important part of what the new Merck looks like. See my latest post -- FDA just approved Gardasil 9.

Namaste, and do stop back!