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C-Suite appointments include Anuja Purohit as CLO, Andrew Cox as CFO and Michael Kaelin as COO
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Nonprofit research institute RTI International is pleased to announce the appointments of three staff members on the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), reporting directly to President and CEO Tim J. Gabel.
Anuja Purohit has been selected as the new the executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary (also referred to as the Chief Legal Officer (CLO)); Andrew Cox will assume the role of executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO); and Michael Kaelin is transitioning to the role of executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO).
“I’m thrilled to announce the appointments of RTI’s new CLO, CFO and COO,” said Gabel. “Anuja, Andrew and Mike demonstrate an unparalleled combination of industry expertise, company knowledge and leadership skills, with each bringing unique expertise that will further drive our long-term vision and growth strategy. As internal promotions, this moment exemplifies the depth of the institute’s leadership bench and is a testament to the professional development programs and career opportunities available at RTI.”
With more than 25 years of legal experience, Purohit will take the Office of Corporate Counsel forward as an executive with demonstrated success leading legal teams and collaborating on critical business issues. As CLO, she will be responsible for the essential role of overseeing RTI’s legal affairs as well as ethics, enterprise risk, regulatory compliance and privacy. Since joining RTI in 2006, Purohit has made significant contributions to key initiatives including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and staff rewards programs. Since 2021, she has served as senior vice president and deputy general counsel providing senior leadership, direction and execution for the ethics, labor and employment law and international legal functions for the institute.
Cox brings more than 20 years of experience to the role in strategic financial planning. Most recently as senior vice president of finance and contracts, he led a large team that delivers finance and contract management for a business portfolio totaling over $900 million in revenue, representing 66% of RTI’s overall business. As the new CFO, Cox will play an essential role in the strategic leadership and management of financial operations for RTI. He will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of finance, accounting, treasury, tax, contracts, procurement and proposal pricing, leading a group of approximately 350 staff members and key collaborators.
Most recently serving as RTI’s CFO and chief strategy and transformation officer, Kaelin has more than 30 years of financial management experience. He joined RTI in 2007 and became CFO in 2012 where he played a crucial role in managing and optimizing the institute’s financial resources, which surpassed $1 billion for the first time. With the arrival of Cox as CFO, Kaelin is now assuming responsibilities as RTI’s COO to focus on the institute’s overall strategic growth and development. He will oversee several teams including corporate strategy, corporate development, central enabled innovation, RTI Digital Ventures, Health Solutions, Innovation Advisors and Lab Sciences.
RTI engaged in a robust search process to recruit for the CFO and CLO roles that included a strong pool of internal and external applicants. The three ELT members officially began their new roles on January 1, 2025. Learn more about each of their journeys via RTI’s blog interviews linked below.
