Kevin W. Sharer - Corporate Experience

Corporate Experience

From the beginning of his corporate career, Sharer’s ambition was to reach the top of the corporate ladder. From 1978 to 1982, Sharer worked at AT&T and simultaneously earned an MBA degree from the University of Pittsburgh. With new MBA in hand, Sharer briefly spent time in a consulting position with McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm. Sharer's naval experience had caught the attention of Ron Bancroft, also a Naval Academy graduate and a partner in McKinsey's Washington, D.C., office.

In 1984, General Electric (GE) recruited Sharer for a position in corporate development. Sharer made an impression on Jack Welch, GE's CEO, who offered him a chance to lead the GE jet engine division. Sharer reportedly refused the job because that position was not high profile enough.

Thus, in 1989, Sharer left GE for an executive vice president position in marketing at MCI Telecommunications Corporation. At MCI, again Sharer became convinced that internal politics would keep him in a number three position and that he would never get to be the CEO.

So finally, in 1992, he joined biotech company Amgen, Inc. as President and COO. Amgen was then world’s largest biotechnology company, but small when compared to large pharmaceutical organizations. Some criticized the choice of someone without a medical or chemical degree for the position, but his predecessor at Amgen, Gordon Binder felt that the company already had enough people with strong science backgrounds. Instead, Sharer’s corporate experience was what was sought after by Amgen. Nevertheless, Sharer took a 'crash course' in biotechnology, taking six months of half-sabbatical to immerse himself in the study of biotech issues. Sharer even reportedly hired his old firm, McKinsey, to tutor him in pharmaceuticals and biochemistry.

After 20 years leading Amgen, it was announced that Sharer would retire at the end of 2012. He will be replaced by Robert Bradway, Amgen's current COO.,