James C. Foster is Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles River Laboratories, a provider of essential products and services that help accelerate the drug development process. Since beginning his career at Charles River in 1976, Mr. Foster has held a variety of positions including: Vice President of Administration and General Counsel, President of Charles River Biotechnical Services, and Executive Vice President, Charles River. Mr. Foster was named President in 1991, Chief Executive Officer in 1992, and Chairman in 2000.
Under Mr. Foster’s leadership, through both acquisition and organic growth, Charles River expanded its position as a leading provider of research models and services. Today, the Company offers a unique portfolio of products and services required to take a novel drug therapy from discovery through proof of concept. Mr. Foster’s focus on execution and exceeding client expectations was the driving force behind the Company’s largest expansion in history, developing approximately one million square feet of new real estate from 2007-2009. This strategic initiative enhanced the Company’s global footprint by providing state-of-the-art facilities conveniently located to clients world wide, including a new site in China.
Mr. Foster was named one of the New England region’s 2007 Entrepreneurs of the Year by Ernst & Young LLP. He holds the position of Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program at Tufts University, and is a member of the Visiting Committee, and the North American Executive Board of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management. Mr. Foster serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park and of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. He is also a member of the Visiting Committee for Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He has been a guest lecturer at MIT, Brandeis University, Northeastern University, Tufts University, and The Olin School of Business at Washington University.
Mr. Foster holds a B.A. degree in Psychology from Lake Forest College, an M.S. degree from MIT and a J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law. He is a member of both the Massachusetts and American Bar Associations.
