Alignment: Merck CEO publicly defended DEI as “core” to operations amid anti-DEI shareholder pressure, and shareholders voted overwhelmingly to keep DEI programs. Former CEO Ken Frazier is a prominent voice urging CEOs to speak out on LGBTQ and racial-justice issues. Not Aligned.
Summary
Merck CEO publicly defended DEI as “core” to operations amid anti-DEI shareholder pressure, and shareholders voted overwhelmingly to keep DEI programs. Former CEO Ken Frazier is a prominent voice urging CEOs to speak out on LGBTQ and racial-justice issues. Not Aligned.
Claims & Sources
Claim 1: Merck CEO called diversity core to operations as anti-DEI shareholder measure was defeated
Sources: BioSpace — Merck CEO defends DEI
Claim 2: Shareholders voted overwhelmingly in support of Merck DEI amid backlash
Sources: Sustainability Magazine — Merck DEI vote
Claim 3: Former Merck CEO Ken Frazier urges CEOs to speak out on LGBTQ and race
Sources: Fortune — Ken Frazier on diversity