Investor Relations

WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2006--Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) (Charles River) today announced the appointment of Nicholas Ventresca in the role of Corporate Senior Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, effective April 3, 2006. Mr. Ventresca will be responsible for establishing global IT strategies, developing and maintaining IT systems and operational plans. He will also participate as an integral and active member in the strategic planning process of the Company.

Prior to joining Charles River Labs, Mr. Ventresca was Vice President in Business Technology for Pfizer, Inc. in New York City and at Pfizer's R&D headquarters in New London, CT. In that position, he was responsible for critical IT areas including Portfolio Management and Organizational Effectiveness. Mr. Ventresca also served as CIO of Warner-Lambert's Schick & Wilkinson Sword group and CTO of Pepsi-Cola international. As a result of these high profile positions, Mr. Ventresca brings with him an extensive international background which includes a strong combination of CIO and functional IT responsibilities.

James C. Foster, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles River Laboratories noted, "Nick brings a deep knowledge of the IT business and a wide breadth of senior management experience to our corporate team. His understanding of sophisticated pharmaceutical research and development environments make Nick a valued asset to Charles River. We are pleased to bring him aboard."

Mr. Ventresca explained his vision for IT at Charles River Labs, "Charles River and its customers continue to require increased levels of access to high quality, timely and transparent data. This directly correlates to IT capability."

Mr. Ventresca holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from Fordham University and studied medicine at the University of Rome. He also is a member of the Drug Information Association.

About Charles River Laboratories

Charles River Laboratories, based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, is a global provider of solutions that advance the drug discovery and development process. Our leading-edge products and services are designed to enable our clients to bring drugs to market faster and more efficiently. Backed by our rigorous, best-in-class procedures and our proven data collection, analysis and reporting capabilities, our products and services are organized into three categories spanning every step of the drug development pipeline: Research Models and Services, Preclinical Services, and Clinical Services. Charles River's customer base includes all of the major pharmaceutical companies and many biotechnology companies, government agencies and leading hospitals and academic institutions. Charles River's 8,400 employees serve clients in more than 50 countries. For more information on Charles River, visit our website at www.criver.com.

CONTACT:
Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.
Elizabeth Ferber
978-658-6000 ext. 1693
F: 978-958-7841
corpcomm@crl.com