How did the Vertex CEO get where she is now?
Source: Fierce Pharma
When a pharmaceutical company has a great year, the effects can be felt a bit more personally than in the case of other industries. Take Vertex. Its exemplary performance in the last couple of years has resulted in new research opportunities that have revolutionized chronic disease care, directly affecting thousands of patients. Yet, few know the name of the person who was essential in this groundbreaking development. So, who is Dr. Reshma Kewalramani, how did she end up as the CEO of Vertex, and what revolutionary product is she leading the company to develop next?
Personal Background & Immigration to the US
Reshma Kewalramani was born in Bombay, India, in 1973 and emigrated to the US with her family when she was 11. In 1998, she graduated summa cum laude from a seven-year liberal/arts medical education program at Boston University and went on to do a residency and internship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She finished a fellowship in clinical nephrology, then decided to do research in transplantation and to study under Harvard Business School’s General Management program, from which she graduated in 2015.
Professional Background & Achievements
After working as a physician for years, Kewalramani spent another 12 years working in leadership positions in research and development for Amgen, a biopharmaceutical company. In 2017 she joined Vertex Pharmaceuticals and, in April 2020, she assumed the role of president and CEO.
Under her leadership, Vertex share prices have doubled. It has developed a number of new drugs after already revolutionizing cystic fibrosis treatment over the years. As of 2024, Kewalramani is leading the company as it develops a drug that could satisfy massive demand for a nonopioid pain reliever as well as another therapy that may lead to a cure for Type 1 diabetes.
Contributions to the US Economy
On top of helming a company that develops nothing short of life-changing treatments, Kewalramani has a long list of personal awards, recognitions, and accomplishments, like the American College of Physicians Associates Council Award, the American Medical Women’s Association Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citation, and the Harvard Medical School Excellence in Teaching Award, to name a few. Under her leadership as CEO, Vertex was ranked second among The Commonwealth Institute’s Top Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts in 2021. Fortune named her one of its 2023 Most Powerful Women.