Who is Reshma Kewalramani, Indian-origin woman on Fortune’s ‘100 most powerful’ list alongside Mukesh Ambani, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai

A woman born in Mumbai has made it to Fortune’s list of the 100 Most Powerful People in Business, alongside big names like Mark Zuckerberg and Mukesh Ambani. Her name is Reshma Kewalramani. Even though she may not be as famous as Indian-origin leaders like Sundar Pichai or Satya Nadella, she has made her mark in a big way. Reshma is the first woman to become the CEO of a major biotechnology company in the US, making history with her achievement.

Who is Reshma Kewalramani? 

Reshma Kewalramani is the CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a major biotechnology company in the United States worth around USD 110 billion. She made history by becoming the first woman to lead such a large biotech company in the US. She took on this role in April 2020.

Reshma was born in Mumbai and moved to the United States with her family when she was 11 years old.

She began her career as a doctor, working at well-known hospitals like Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. After a few years, she moved into the biopharma industry and held important roles in research and development.

She joined Vertex in 2017 and became the Chief Medical Officer just one year later. By 2020, she was made the company’s CEO and also became a board member.

Since she became CEO, the company has gained approval for five life-changing medicines for cystic fibrosis, a serious disease that affects the lungs. These medicines have helped improve the lives of thousands of people.

Reshma Kewalramani’s Education and Career Journey

Reshma Kewalramani started her journey in the field of medicine. She completed a special seven-year medical program at Boston University and earned her degree with honours from the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

After medical school, she trained at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she did her internship and residency in internal medicine. She then went on to do a fellowship in kidney-related medicine (nephrology) through a joint program at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Later, she decided to grow her skills beyond medicine and completed a management course at Harvard Business School.

Reshma is also a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology, which is a big honour in her field. Over the years, she has received a lot of recognition for her work. She has been featured on TIME magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, as well as the TIME 100 Health list. She is now seen as a leading figure in the biotech industry.

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