Why CEOs refrain from addressing social issues (with Ken Frazier and Ken Chenault) | Rapid Response
About Ken
- Former chairman & CEO of American Express (2001-2018)
- Chairman and managing director, General Catalyst (since 2018)
- Co-founder of OneTen, aiming to create 1M jobs for Black Americans
- Led Amex through major crises including 9/11 and the Great Recession
- First African American CEO of a Fortune 500 financial services company
About Ken
- Longtime CEO of Merck (2011–2021), Fortune 500 pharma leader
- Co-founded OneTen, aiming for 1M family-sustaining jobs for Black Americans
- Lead director & board member at major firms including ExxonMobil and Harvard Corporation (2024)
- Advisor at General Catalyst, driving innovation in health and equity
- Named among America’s most influential Black business leaders
Amid college campus protests over Palestine and Israel, stark U.S. political divides, and legal challenges to diversity initiatives, business leaders face new pressure on whether to speak out and take action on issues of our time. Ken Frazier, former CEO of Merck, and Ken Chenault, former CEO of American Express, offer their unfiltered advice, as board members of the Harvard Corporation and two of America’s most prominent Black executives. It’s a candid conversation about the most controversial topics in American business, from DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) to January 6th.
The pair collaborate at the venture capital firm, General Catalyst. Ken Chenault is the Chairman and a Managing Director, while Ken Frazier is the firm’s Chairman of Health Assurance initiatives.
