# Reshma Kewalramani

> Reshma Kewalramani is the Boston-based CEO and president of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a role she has held since April 2020. Born in Mumbai, she moved to the United States as a child, graduated from Boston University in 1998, spent more than twelve years at Amgen, and joined Vertex in 2017. Her public reflections emphasize family, taking career risks, continuing education, mentoring, and collective achievement.

- **Role:** CEO and President at Vertex Pharmaceuticals
- **Organizations:** Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Boston University, Harvard Business School, Biomedical Science Careers Program, Year Up, Ginkgo Bioworks (board member, 2021-2024)
- **From:** Mumbai, India
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA and MD, with honors, Boston University, General Management Program (executive education), Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** First woman to lead a large publicly traded US biotechnology company., Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award, 2023., Boston University school-level Distinguished Alumni Award, 2023, and university Distinguished Alumni Award, 2025.

## Career timeline

- **1983** — Moved with her family from India to the United States, eventually settling on Long Island.
- **1998** — Graduated from Boston University’s combined BA/MD program.
- **2004** — Joined Amgen and moved to California with her husband and infant twins.
- **2015** — Completed Harvard Business School’s General Management Program.
- **2017** — Joined Vertex Pharmaceuticals and returned to Boston.
- **2018** — Became executive vice president and chief medical officer at Vertex.
- **2020** — Became Vertex CEO and president on April 1; joined its board in February.
- **2021-2024** — Served on the board of Ginkgo Bioworks.
- **2023** — Received the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award; delivered Babson’s graduate commencement address.
- **2026** — Delivered Boston University’s commencement address and received an honorary Doctor of Science.

## Achievements

- First woman to lead a large publicly traded US biotechnology company.
- Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award, 2023.
- Boston University school-level Distinguished Alumni Award, 2023, and university Distinguished Alumni Award, 2025.
- TIME100 recognition, 2025, and TIME Women of the Year, 2026.
- Paul W. Lee AAPI Leadership Award from the Asian Community Fund, 2025.
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Babson College, 2023.
- Honorary Doctor of Science, Boston University, 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Delivered the address at Boston University’s 153rd commencement and received an honorary Doctor of Science.
- **2026-02** — Recognized in TIME’s 2026 Women of the Year collection.
- **2025-10** — Received the Asian Community Fund’s Paul W. Lee AAPI Leadership Award.

## Links

- Website: https://www.vrtx.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reshma-kewalramani-md-fasn-8328ba21/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/reshma-kewalramani
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21