ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Joe Kernen is currently co-host of CNBC’s Squawk Box. Kernen came to CNBC in the 1991 merger with Financial News Network, having joined FNN after a 10-year career as a stockbroker. Kernen grew up in the Western Hills section of Cincinnati and graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1974. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in molecular biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked on cancer research. He is married to Penelope and has two children, daughter Blake and son Scott. Kernen authored Your Teacher Said What?!: Defending Our Kids from the Liberal Assault on Capitalism (2011) with his daughter Blake. Kernen still gives back to St. X. This year he is donating a back stage tour of the show for X-Travaganza.
JOSEPH R. KERNEN ‘74
Kernen Built on Strong St. X Education to Lead CNBC’s Squawk Box Joe Kernen (‘74), co-host of CNBC’s “Squawk Box”, is proof of the age old story that following your true passion will reap big rewards. After graduating from St. Xavier High School, Kernen thought he wanted to become a doctor or work in cancer research. His graduate work focused on mouse erythroleukemia cells, and resulted in a series of publications in well-known scientific journals including CELL, Developmental Biology, and Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology. Throughout his time at MIT, Kernen found himself reading the Wall Street Journal during one of the first technology stock bull markets. Kernen used his new-found knowledge, and a small amount of money from his father, to invest in tech companies. This small investment grew into a complete career shift. After completing his master’s degree, Kernen tried to become a stockbroker, but couldn’t get hired because he had no experience. Eventually Kernen was given an opportunity at Merrill Lynch, and during his 10 years in the business, he rose to the level of Vice-President at both EF Hutton and Smith Barney. Eager to get out of the business, Kernen tossed around ideas of becoming a bio-tech patent attorney or analyst and then heard about an opportunity to write for the Financial News Network (on typewriters Joe points out.) With no experience on how to write a news story, he read Writing Broadcast News: Shorter, Sharper, Clearer by Mervin Block. This quick research led to a three week freelance position which turned into a fulltime. In 1990 FNN was acquired by CNBC. His first gig at CNBC had him writing an hourly segment entitled “Winners and Losers.” Kernen moved up quickly in the organization
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but wasn’t always comfortable behind the camera. “At one point I had to read the one minute report once a day on camera,” said Kernen. “I would do the minute and then I would be nervous for 23 hours and 59 minutes until the next report.” “BEING A BOMBER WAS Kernen eventually beMORE IMPORTANT IN came a stocks editor reading PREParinG ME FOR LIFE “Winners and Losers” every hour. THAN EITHER MY UNDERIn 1995 CNBC launched a new GRADUATE OR GRADUATE show “Squawk Box” with Kernen, OPPORTUNITIES.” the late Mark Haines, David Faber and with Maria Bartiromo as the first reporter to cover the NYSE on the floor. After just months, the show became a big deal in the financial news arena. “The show started scripted,” said Kernen. “One day, a breaking news story about ATT happened and we had no script. Mark and I just explained what was happening in our own words. That was the beginning of the current format.” “Squawk Box” became ground-breaking mixing gags and entertainment with hard-hitting business news. In recent months, Kernen has led the show, and its viewers, on a ‘Rise Above’ campaign advocating both sides of politics to meet in the middle to do what is needed to make the country strong. Self-proclaimed high school rocker/geek, Kernen gives St. Xavier High School credit for his success. “Being a Bomber was more important in preparing me for life than either my undergraduate or graduate opportunities,” stated Kernen. “I have always said St. X had more to do with giving me a foundation, learning that it was not necessarily about what you learn, but how to learn.” What keeps him on air? Kernen claims it is half personality and half knowledge, which began with a strong foundation at St. Xavier High School. You can catch Kernen on CNBC every weekday morning from 6:00-9:00AM.
SPRING 2013