James C. Foster
James C. Foster is Chair, President & Chief Executive Officer of Charles River Laboratories, a leading provider of essential products and services that fully support the drug discovery and early-stage 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 (CEO) in 1992, and Chairman in 2000.
As CEO, Mr. Foster has built Charles River from a niche research models and services business to a full service, early-stage drug research partner to more than 100 of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical companies and academic institutions, as well as thousands of emerging and established biotechnology companies. Today, the Company offers a unique portfolio of products and services required to take a novel drug therapy from discovery through non-clinical development.
Mr. Foster is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, and a member of the Presidential Advisory Council for Berklee College of Music. He is a guest lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Mr. Foster holds a B.A. degree from Lake Forest College, an M.S. degree from MIT, and a J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law.