Chief Executive Officer, President & Chairman, Charles River Laboratories
Search every verified James Foster interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. James Foster, Chairman, President, and CEO of Charles River Laboratories, marked his 50th anniversary with the company in April 2026 by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. He is set to retire as CEO in May 2026 but will remain on the board of directors. In interviews, Foster described his tenure as a "great run" and said he is most proud of the company's scientific depth, portfolio sophistication, and its "familial" and "team oriented" culture. He stated that Charles River works on over 80% of drugs approved by the FDA in the last five years. On the company's Q4 2025 earnings call in February 2026, Foster reported that 2025 financial results were at the upper ends of previously provided revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share ranges. He noted a stabilization of the biopharma demand environment and "substantial improvements" in Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA) net bookings. Foster announced the planned acquisitions of KF Cambodia and Pathquest, stating they align with core competencies and are expected to generate operating margin improvement through cost savings on non-human primate (NHP) sourcing. He expressed cautious optimism that favorable DSA demand trends will continue in 2026, with a return to organic revenue growth expected in the second half of the year.
“We were pleased that our 2025 financial results were at the upper ends of the revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share ranges that we provided in November. Beyond our financial results, the fourth quarter capped a year that was marked by the stabilization of the biofarma demand environment, including substantial improve...”
“In January, we announced the planned acquisitions of the assets of KF Cambodia and Pathquest. Both of these acquisitions are squarely aligned with our core competencies and are the result of lengthy successful partnerships. KF, the acquisition of which has already closed, has been our longtime NHP supplier in Cambodia...”
“NAMS including AI has promise but it still has challenges with data availability and proof of concept. So it will be a gradual longerterm evolution led by science and the validation of new capabilities over time particularly in a regulated safety assessment environment where patient safety is paramount.”
“We expect the operating margin will improve by 20 to 50 basis points from 19.8% in 2025 driven principally by the benefit from the acquisition of the assets of KF Cambodia. This is expected to translate into non-GAAP earnings per share in a range from $10.70 to $11.20 representing growth of approximately 4 to 9%.”
We are joined by retiring CEO Jim Foster to discuss his 50 year career at Charles River. Through his decades in the industry, Foster has seen it all - from the shift toward new approach methodologies, through mergers and sales and public offerings, to shaping the future of Charles River's culture. Listen now to hear how it all started, how we got here, and where we are heading in the future.
Our CEO, James Foster, addresses shareholders about the mid-year developments for ViraxImmune™, ViraxClear™, and the ...
CNBC's Jim Cramer chats with Charles River Laboratories CEO Jim Foster to get a read on the drug research and evelopment landscape and the company's plans in China. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://www.cnbc.com/pro/?__source=yo... » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Subscribe to CNBC Classic: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCclassic Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business new…
We should all be proud of our accomplishments this year, which can be reviewed in the video below. Thank you for everything you ...
Jim Foster, Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO of Charles River Laboratories on September 18, 2019 at MIT Sloan School of Management
Jim Cramer checks in with Charles River Labs CEO James Foster to get a read on how the stock could get back on track in the future.
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