Birgit Girshick
Birgit Girshick became Chief Executive Officer of Charles River Laboratories and a member of the Board of Directors in May 2026 following a distinguished career spanning more than 35 years with the Company. Since joining Charles River in 1989, she has held leadership roles of increasing responsibility across the organization and has been instrumental in shaping the Company's global growth strategy, operational excellence, and transformation initiatives.
As an industry-recognized leader, Ms. Girshick has led numerous global expansion efforts across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Throughout her tenure, she has guided all businesses - Research Models & Services, Discovery, Safety Assessment, Biologics Testing Solutions, and Microbial Solutions. She also played a pivotal leadership role in developing Charles River's Pathway to Purpose strategy, helping define the Company's long-term vision and strategic priorities.
Prior to being named CEO, Ms. Girshick served as Chief Operating Officer beginning in 2021, overseeing Charles River's global business units and operational functions. In this role, she was responsible for driving strategic growth, operational excellence, client partnerships, digital transformation, and sustainability initiatives across the enterprise. She also led efforts to advance Charles River's digital-first strategy and strengthen its position as a leading early-stage drug development partner.
Previously, as Corporate Executive Vice President, Ms. Girshick oversaw the Discovery, Safety Assessment, Biologics Testing Solutions, and Avian Vaccine businesses. Under her leadership, these businesses achieved strong growth and profitability while successfully integrating numerous acquisitions that expanded Charles River's global capabilities, workforce, and market presence. Earlier in her career, she led the integration of WIL Research, a transformative milestone that strengthened Charles River's position as a global leader in Safety Assessment.
Ms. Girshick has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, having led multiple global transactions and integrations involving thousands of employees and significant revenue growth. She is widely recognized for her ability to drive organizational transformation, accelerate growth, and build high-performing global teams.
Ms. Girshick earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern Connecticut State University and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island. She also completed the Advanced Management Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.