logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
41m 24s

160. Voices of CEO Excellence: Merck's K...

McKinsey & Company
About this episode
Ken Frazier, the former executive chairman and CEO of Merck, candidly reflects on how he managed past crises. 
Up next
Sep 11
321. M&A integration: PE’s new value creation playbook
Private equity is navigating one of its most challenging value creation environments in years, and winning firms are using M&A integration as a competitive weapon. Brian Dinneen and Matthew Maloney join us to discuss three high-impact integration strategies that leading sponsors ... Show More
43m 58s
Sep 4
320. The digital twin: Reimagining non-financial risk management
The risk function’s fundamental purpose has not changed in light of AI. What has changed is the nature and pace of risks amplified by AI, as well as the tools available to manage them. Anke Raufuss, Björn Nilsson, and Laura Webanck join us to discuss the role of the digital twin ... Show More
44m 49s
Aug 28
319. Why strategy needs mobilization, especially in this moment
As strategy rises to the top of executive agendas, many organizations are struggling to translate bold strategic choices into sustained performance. In this episode, the global coleaders of our Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice, Sébastien Lacroix and Andy West, along with W ... Show More
31m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2022
Rapid Response: "Be confident enough to show your vulnerability," w/Ken Frazier (Merck/General Catalyst)
Ken Frazier, the longtime CEO of pharmaceutical giant Merck, was one of the few Black CEOs at the top of Corporate America. Now as an adviser at General Catalyst and co-founder of the social impact organization OneTen, he’s re-shaping how business addresses racial and health equi ... Show More
33m 53s
Sep 2024
Leading from the inside-out: Why CEOs must make time for self-reflection
The greatest CEOs are necessarily driven, decisive, and confident. But McKinsey senior partner Ramesh Srinivasan, senior partner emeritus Hans-Werner Kaas, and coauthors of their new book, The Journey of Leadership: How CEOs Can Learn to Lead from the Inside Out, say CEOs must we ... Show More
17m 41s
Jun 2023
Prioritize principles in crisis, w/Upwork’s Hayden Brown and Merck’s Ken Frazier
Navigate today’s uncertain climate with a steadfast resolve. Recorded live at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, former Merck CEO Ken Frazier and Upwork CEO Hayden Brown talk with host Bob Safian about how leaders should trust their values when faced with social, polit ... Show More
25m 23s
Dec 2025
Building leaders from the ground up
CEOs are confronting double the number of critical issues today compared with ten years ago. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey Senior Partners Daniel Pacthod and Kurt Strovink, along with McKinsey Senior Advisor Wyman Howard, join McKinsey Editorial Director Rober ... Show More
26m 25s
Sep 2024
Up Close with Our CEO
What are today’s big business challenges and why is it a great time to be a CEO? Christoph Schweizer talks about what he has learned in his three years at the helm.    Hear Christoph’s insights on how CEOs navigate difficult decisions, including his own "moment of truth" when he ... Show More
19m 30s
Apr 2024
CEO priorities: Where to focus as the year unfolds
<p>Over the past several years, CEOs have faced mounting uncertainty–and 2024 is proving no exception. On this episode of <em>The McKinsey Podcast, </em>Homayoun Hatami, McKinsey's managing partner for client capabilities, and Liz Hilton Segel, McKinsey's chief client officer, sp ... Show More
24m 38s
Jul 2021
#116 Jeff Immelt: Leadership In A Crisis
Former General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt looks back on his two decades with the company and the strategies he used to lead during three separate crises. In this episode, Immelt discusses what happened during those events and why, what it was like to take over for GM icon Jack Welc ... Show More
52m 14s
Jun 2025
Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi: Lessons from the Top
On her first day as CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi fired her general counsel. Then rehired him before dinner. It wasn’t a stunt. It was a signal. She ran a $200 billion empire the same way she ran her life: with surgical precision, uncompromising standards, and an allergy to corpora ... Show More
1h 34m
Jun 2023
Leadership: Refocusing on the fundamentals
Text us your thoughts on this episodeAfter a tumultuous few years, business leaders are now focused on growth to survive. From people to technology, they are applying the lessons learned as they navigate through the headwinds of today’s environment.In this episode, Tim Ryan, PwC’ ... Show More
22m 29s