Phanesh Koneru

Phanesh Koneru, Ph.D., LL.M., is the Founder, President and CEO of Exela Pharma Sciences. He also serves as its General Counsel.

Before founding Exela, Phanesh was Vice President, Intellectual Property at Watson Pharmaceuticals (sold ultimately to Allergan & Teva). He also worked at law firms in New York and Palo Alto, CA. Phanesh began his professional career as a registered pharmacist in California and continued for 12 years.

Phanesh earned his Ph.D. in Biomedicinal Chemistry from the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, Juris Doctor (J.D) from the University of San Diego School of Law, and Master of Laws (LL.M) with high honors from Columbia University School of Law.

Under Phanesh’s leadership Exela won several awards for manufacturing and supply chain excellence as well as for creating hundreds of high paying jobs in an economically disadvantaged rural community in North Carolina. Phanesh was recognized as one of North Carolina’s Most Influential Leaders in Health Sciences by Business North Carolina, May 2021.