Charlie Tobler, '90 BSPh
I retired in 2023 after a 33-year career in the pharmaceutical industry. I began my career at Eli Lilly, and after a 2-year leave to earn my MBA, I returned and entered management there. In 2004, I left Lilly to join TAP Pharmaceuticals, a joint venture between Abbott (pre-AbbVie) and Takeda. When the JV disbanded in 2008, I joined Takeda as Vice President for their Diabetes Franchise in North America. I was later promoted to Global VP, responsible for Takeda's Cardio-metabolic Franchise, managing teams in London, Tokyo, Osaka, and Chicago.
I decided to leave Takeda to start anew with a 4-person company called Actient Pharmaceuticals. Supported by a single investor, my small group of colleagues and I built Actient, Crealta Pharmaceuticals, and TerSera Therapeutics, successfully exiting (selling) each for a combined $2.5 billion.
Currently, I am thrilled to chair the Executive Leadership Board at UICOP and continue to focus much of my time and energy on Iowa City. I am blessed to have been married for over 30 years to Angela, and we have four adult children who are all thriving. I live most of the year in Naples, FL, and spend summers in Galena, IL. I enjoy golfing most days and spending as much time outdoors as possible.
Other areas of expertise:
- Marketing
- Sales
- Team building
- Consulting
- Entrepreneurial
- Industry
- Leadership / Management
