Peter Lambertus

Founder
Charles River Development

Biography

Peter Lambertus built the Charles River Development financial services company from the ground up, in part because he got a kick out of doing things that were hard. “I enjoyed taking on difficult jobs that others avoided or couldn’t do,” Lambertus says. “I was sometimes a maverick in wanting to remedy bad situations or technical designs even though it meant an uphill battle against status quo and bureaucracy.”

Today, the company Lambertus founded and ran until its 2018 sale to State Street Corporation supports over 300 clients in more than 40 countries, managing over $25 trillion in assets. As he looks back on the foundation for his success, he is grateful to Purdue for helping him learn how to approach problems.

He credits his Purdue education in playing a major role in acquiring the critical-thinking skills necessary for creating work products and solving problems. “Purdue engineering taught me to understand not just ‘what’ and ‘how’ in approaching situations, but just as importantly, ‘why,’” he said.

In June 2020, the Purdue Board of Trustees approved the naming of the second Gateway Complex building as Lambertus Hall in recognition of Peter and Ann Lambertus’ $10 million gift. The Complex was dedicated in April 2023.