Merck launches Richard T. Clark Fellowship program with PSI Partnership

Today Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced the first partnership and inaugural class of fellows for its newly formed Richard T. Clark Fellowship program. Five Merck employees are spending three months working with PSI, a global non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of people in the developing world.

Named in recognition of retired Merck Chairman and CEO Richard Clark, and his philosophy of “Passion, Purpose and Commitment to Corporate Responsibility,” the global program leverages the skills and talents of Merck employees to build and support humanitarian organizations’ efforts to answer the health needs of the underserved.

“The Richard T. Clark Fellowship is one more way Merck is fulfilling its mission to save and improve lives,” said Geralyn Ritter, senior vice president, global public policy and corporate responsibility at Merck. “We have a strong commitment to employee volunteerism and supporting underserved communities. Through this program and many others, Merck employees are actively engaged in making a meaningful difference in people’s lives around the world.”

The program aims to strengthen the capability and reach of charitable organizations focused on improving access to health services and health outcomes. At the same time, it will provide Merck employees with unique development opportunities that help expand their understanding of critical health needs in different parts of the world.

“What really excites me is the opportunity the Fellowship gives employees to apply their dedication, skills and abilities to put Merck’s mission into action,” said Richard T. Clark, Merck’s retired chairman and CEO. “Working with humanitarian organizations around the world in this way allows us to have a truly unique effect on people’s lives and better understand the future of healthcare.”

The PSI Partnership

The first Merck Fellows will be working with PSI to enhance the quality and scalability of its franchise operating model. Specifically, the Fellows will work to establish standards and procedures in areas such as brand management, field support and supervision, finance mechanisms and mobile health technologies that will be used by PSI to improve the quality and scalability of their country operations. The team’s recommendations will be piloted in several countries and ultimately implemented in PSI locations throughout the world.

“The Richard T. Clark Fellowship program represents the best of what is possible in private-public partnerships for global health. It is a win/win. Merck benefits from PSI’s existing, on-the-ground network of health programs and our understanding of the local market for health products. We benefit from the Fellows’ energy, ideas, expertise and commitment to innovation – allowing PSI to further enhance health impact across the world,” said Karl Hofman, President and CEO, PSI.

About PSI

PSI is a global health organization dedicated to improving the health of people in the developing world by focusing on serious challenges like a lack of family planning, HIV/AIDS, barriers to maternal health, and the greatest threats to children under five, including malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, and malnutrition. www.psi.org

About Richard T. Clark

Richard Clark served as chairman from April 2007 until December 2011. He was CEO of Merck from May 2005 through December 2010. He also was president of Merck from 2005 until May 2010. During his nearly 40 years with the company, Richard led the Merck Manufacturing Division, Merck Medco and the company’s merger and integration of Merck and Schering-Plough in November, 2009. In December 2011, he retired from the company and the board of directors.