CRL Charles River Laboratories International Inc

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL), a premier global provider of solutions that advance the drug discovery and development process, today announced that John C. Ho, M.D. will join the Company effective January 9, 2006, as Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy. Reporting directly to Charles River Chairman, President and CEO, James C. Foster, Dr. Ho will lead Charles River's worldwide strategic planning process through implementing and expediting key initiatives underlying the Company's strategic plan. James Foster stated, "John brings with him a wealth of business management experience and knowledge in the life sciences industry that will be critical in furthering our corporate vision and goals. We are pleased to have him on board to help us explore new directions and execute the Company's growth plan." Dr. Ho has over 16 years experience serving pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and provider organizations in a variety of capacities including corporate and M&A strategy formulation, product commercialization, investment decision making, process reengineering and organizational redesign. Most recently, he served as a partner at Accenture in their Health and Life Sciences Practice where he led the Preclinical Development Practice and the Medical Device Practice areas. He was also was a leader in the Discovery Research and Clinical Operations Practices. Prior to joining Accenture, Dr. Ho spent five years as a partner in the Life Science Industry Group of Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath and was at McKinsey and Company. "I am pleased to be joining Charles River Laboratories, a leader in the life sciences industry with remarkable assets in its customer base, market-leading products and services and strong management team. I believe the Company is poised to play a critical role in the evolution of the biopharmaceutical industry, helping it to greatly enhance its productivity and innovation. I am extremely excited to join Charles River and support the Company's transformation," said Dr. Ho. Dr. Ho holds a master's degree in business administration from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College, a degree in medicine from Brown University School of Medicine and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. About Charles River Laboratories Charles River Laboratories, based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, U.S., 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.