Mumbai-born woman on Fortune's ‘100 most powerful' list alongside Mukesh Ambani, Sundar Pichai
Who is Reshma Kewalramani?
Reshma Kewalramani is the Indian-origin CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals – a company valued at $110 billion. She is the first female CEO of a large US biotech company, having been appointed to the post in April 2020.
Kewalramani was born in Mumbai and moved to the US with her family when she was 11.
She started her career as a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. After a few years of working as a doctor, she entered the biopharma sector, holding several leadership positions in research and development over a career spanning several years.
She joined Vertex Pharmaceuticals in 2017 and was appointed Chief Medical Officer a year later. In 2020, she became the CEO of the company and also sits on its board.
Fortune 100 Most Powerful People in Business
Fortune has released a list of the 100 Most Powerful People in Business for the second time ever.
'This list measures power and influence—and though net worth is a factor, we're much more concerned with a leader's ability to shape the thoughts and actions of those around them,' explains Fortune. 'Billionaires no longer active in business, business unit leaders, politicians and regulators, as well as loud voices who don't run substantive businesses do not qualify.'
Instead, the list focuses on people who are actively involved in businesses that affect the present and will shape the future.
Ranking first on the list is Jensen Huang, the CEO, president and co-founder of Nvidia; followed by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, whose early bet on OpenAI has helped Microsoft gain an edge in the AI race.
Other Indian and Indian-origin leaders on the list are Google CEO Sundar Pichai (rank 6), Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani (rank 56), and YouTube CEO Neal Moahn (rank 83). Gautam Adani has also been included in the list at rank 96.
Reshma Kewalramani on Fortune 100
Kewalramani ranks 62nd on Fortune's list of the 100 Most Powerful People in Business. This is the first time she has featured on the list.
In a short paragraph explaining her inclusion, Fortune noted that this year, Vertex gained FDA approval for a new opioid-free pain drug, Journavx.
'Reshma Kewalramani, who brings her experience as a licensed doctor to her leadership, took the helm as CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in 2020, having previously served as the biopharma company's chief medical officer,' the magazine noted.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
26 minutes ago
- Economic Times
ET Graphics: India cuts tariffs, counters 'tariff king' tag
Synopsis Despite President Trump's accusations of India being a 'tariff king' and the recent imposition of additional duties on Indian goods, data reveals a different story. India has been consistently reducing both tariff and non-tariff barriers. Interestingly, the targeted tariff cuts implemented by India in January are expected to benefit the United States the most, undermining Trump's claims. iStock
Deccan Herald
28 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
OpenAI eyes $500 bn valuation in potential employee share sale
ChatGPT maker OpenAI is in early-stage discussions about a stock sale that would allow employees to cash out and could value the company at about $500 billion, a source familiar with the matter said. That would represent an eye-popping bump-up from its current valuation of $300 billion, with the sale underscoring both OpenAI's rapid gains in users and revenue as well as the intense competition among artificial intelligence firms to secure talented workers. The transaction, which would come before a potential IPO, would allow current and former employees to sell several billion dollars worth of shares, said the source, who requested anonymity because the talks are private. Bolstered by its flagship product ChatGPT, OpenAI doubled its revenue in the first seven months of the year, reaching an annualised run rate of $12 billion, and is on track to reach $20 billion by year-end, the source added. Microsoft-backed OpenAI has about 700 million weekly active users for its ChatGPT products, a surge from about 400 million in February. The share sale talks come on the heels of OpenAI's primary funding round announced earlier this year, which aims to raise $40 billion, led by Japan's SoftBank Group. SoftBank has until the end of the year to fund its $22.5 billion portion of the round, but the remainder has been subscribed at a valuation of $300 billion, the source said. Microsoft-backed OpenAI has about 700 million weekly active users for its ChatGPT products, a surge from about 400 million in February.
Indian Express
28 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trump doubles tariffs on India to 50%, but offers 21 days window for negotiations
Ramping up pressure on India before US negotiators are expected to reach India on August 25, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday doubled the tariffs on India to 50 per cent, but there is a 21-day window before the additional tariff of 25 per cent comes into effect, offering India a window to strike a trade deal. A White House statement said that the US will impose 'additional 25 percent ad valorem duty' above the 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs announced on August 1 to 'deal with the national emergency stemming from Russia's actions in Ukraine'. This tariff is deemed necessary and appropriate due to India's 'direct or indirect import of Russian Federation oil', which the President judges will more effectively address the national emergency, the executive order said. The additional tariffs dramatically raises pressure on India as most of its competitors such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and now China are not at lower tariffs. However, exporters said that US tariffs related uncertainty is already disrupting trade and that Indian exporters have grown wary of exporting to the US. About half of India's total exports of $80 billion are, however, in the exemption list that include products such as pharma and electronics goods. While the fresh order takes the total US tariffs to its highest on any country globally, it also offers a fresh window for discussion. The Indian Express had reported on Saturday that key economic ministries have been asked for inputs to sweeten the US trade deal stuck on India's resistance to US demand for access in the Indian agri market. 'This 25 percent ad valorem duty will be effective for goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 21 days after the date of the order. There are exceptions for goods that were loaded onto a vessel and in transit before this effective date and are entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption before 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 17, 2025,' the order read. NEW: President Donald J. Trump just signed an Executive Order imposing an additional 25% tariff on India in response to its continued purchase of Russian oil. Here is the text of the Order: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the… — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 6, 2025 While New Delhi has called the targeting of India over the purchase of Russian oil 'unjustified and unreasonable' and vowed to take 'all necessary measures' to safeguard its 'national interests and economic security', Indian exporters are in a fix, scrambling to retain access to the US — their most valuable export market, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of India's total outbound shipments. Incidentally, China is the largest buyer of Russian oil, at about 2 million barrels per day, followed by India (just under 2 million a day) and Turkey. The US had agreed to lower tariffs on Chinese goods to 30 per cent from 145 per cent in May. The executive order does not make a mention of China, but instead stipulates a mechanism wherein the US Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with other senior officials, 'will monitor if any other country (beyond India) is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil and recommend further action'. Indian officials have indicated that the US is unwilling to negotiate sectoral tariffs — such as those on steel and automobiles — which have already impacted nearly $5 billion worth of Indian exports. Evan A. Feigenbaum, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said on Monday that US-India relations may now become a political football, especially in New Delhi. He warned that the core understandings that enabled closer ties may be at serious risk, as New Delhi had largely assumed Washington would take political risks to strengthen the relationship — something Trump has not done and clearly will not do. Feigenbaum added that the split in relations is further underscored by Trump's effusive praise for Islamabad and recent engagement with Pakistan's army and government — developments that raise obvious concerns in New Delhi. 'The United States was roiled by India's ties to Iran, Myanmar, and later Russia. Trump and his administration are now moving to sanction and tariff India over its oil trade with Russia. This significantly shifts the bar for bilateral relations,' he said. Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More
