Indian American entrepreneur Reshma Kewalramani is among six former Boston University students chosen for the 2025 Best of BU Alumni Awards for demonstrating exceptional leadership in their respective fields
Selected by the Boston University Alumni Association (BUAA), the six will be recognized at the 77th Best of BU Alumni Awards during Alumni weekend, according to a University press release.
“From producing beloved films and shaping the civil rights movement to advancing justice and spearheading innovations in technology and medicine, the 2025 honorees exemplify the spirit and excellence of Boston University,” it stated.
A passionate doctor, teacher, mentor, philanthropist, and STEM advocate, Kewalramani is the chief executive officer and president of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a Fortune 500 global biotechnology company.
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Kewalramani trained in internal medicine and nephrology before entering the biopharmaceutical industry, where she has dedicated her career to discovering and developing new medicines. She joined Vertex in 2017, serving as senior vice president, executive vice president, and chief medical officer before becoming CEO in 2020.
Kewalramani serves on the boards of the Biomedical Science Careers Program and Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Dean’s Advisory Board.
Among her many accolades, she is a recipient of the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award, the International Institute of New England Golden Door Award, and the New England Council’s New Englander of the Year Award.
She has been named to the TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World list, the TIME 100 Health list, and is one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, a Changemaker by CNBC, one of Boston Business Journal’s “Power 50,” one of Boston magazine’s most influential Bostonians, a top CEO by Barron’s, and one of Business Insider’s “10 People Transforming Healthcare.”
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Continuing the tradition of excellence in the workplace, her company Vertex has consistently been recognized as a best place to work, including by Science magazine, The Boston Globe and Fortune.
Kewalramani completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and her fellowship in nephrology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital combined program.
She received her medical degree, with honors, from the seven-year medicine program at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and is a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology. She is an alumna of the Harvard Business School, having completed the General Management Program.