Eric Cantor
Eric Cantor serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), representing the nation’s leading innovative biopharmaceutical research companies. Drawing on more than three decades of leadership in government and business, Cantor leads PhRMA’s efforts to advance policies that expand patient access to affordable medicines, accelerate medical innovation, and strengthen America’s global leadership in biopharmaceutical research and development.
Prior to joining PhRMA, Cantor served for more than a decade as Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Moelis & Company, a global independent investment bank. In this role, he advised companies and senior executives on strategic business decisions, mergers and acquisitions, and the complex intersection of public policy, global markets, and industry. His experience provides a distinct perspective on the economic, competitive, and policy challenges facing businesses and industries undergoing significant change. He continues to serve on the Moelis & Company Board of Directors.
Before entering investment banking, Cantor served for more than two decades in public office, first in the Virginia House of Delegates and subsequently in the U.S. House of Representatives where he represented Virginia’s 7th Congressional District from 2001 to 2014. He served as House Republican Whip from 2009 to 2011 and House Majority Leader from 2011 to 2014, helping shape the nation’s legislative and economic policy agenda.
Throughout his congressional career, Cantor was a leading advocate for policies supporting medical research, innovation, and patient access to care. He was instrumental in building support for Medicare Part D, which expanded prescription drug coverage for seniors and people with disabilities, and championed the bipartisan Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, establishing a federal initiative to advance pediatric disease research. His work also helped lay the groundwork for the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act which strengthened federal support for biomedical research and modernized the development and approval of new treatments. Beyond healthcare, Cantor played a leading role in securing passage of the bipartisan JOBS Act, which expanded access to capital for emerging growth companies.
Cantor served as a visiting fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, a member of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Executive Council on Infrastructure, and a member of the US Department of Defense Policy Board.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University, a law degree from William & Mary Law School, and a master’s degree from Columbia University.
President and Chief Executive Officer