Lilly announces senior leadership appointments for finance, research & development and manufacturing.

Eli Lilly and Company announced a number of leadership changes, promoting several experienced Lilly leaders to executive roles, effective in 2018. 

• Josh Smiley has been promoted to senior vice president and chief financial officer and will become a member of Lilly’s executive committee, effective January 1, 2018. Lilly announced in June that Derica Rice, Lilly’s current CFO, would retire at year-end. 
• Dan Skovronsky, M.D., Ph.D., has been promoted to senior vice president for science and technology and president of Lilly Research Labs and will become a member of Lilly’s executive committee. This change is effective June 1, 2018. 
• Myles O’Neill has been promoted to senior vice president and president of manufacturing operations and will become a member of Lilly’s executive committee, effective January 1, 2018. 
• Aarti Shah, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief information officer, has been named an executive officer and will join Lilly’s executive committee, effective January 1, 2018. Positioning the information technology function as a direct report to the CEO is critical given the role digital technology and analytics will play in the future of healthcare. 

“Joining our executive team are individuals who have the experience, expertise and leadership skills to build on our momentum of innovation driven volume growth,” said chairman and chief executive officer, David A. Ricks. “Importantly, this team will help us maintain focus as we work to bring forward new medicines in diabetes, cancer, immunology, neurodegeneration and pain and change the path of serious disease.” 

“We are in a strong position today thanks to the incredible commitment from all three of our executives who are announcing retirements this year – Derica, whose retirement was announced in June, as well as Maria Crowe and Jan Lundberg,” added Ricks. “They’ve been a key part of our success over the last decade and today.”

Crowe, Lundberg to retire 

In addition to the appointments being announced today, two senior leaders are announcing their retirement from the company. 

Maria Crowe, president of manufacturing operations, will retire in December 2017 after 35 years of service. She joined Lilly in 1982 and since 2012 has led the company’s global manufacturing network of 14 sites on four continents.

Previously, she served as senior vice president global drug product manufacturing, which included emerging markets manufacturing, drug product operations and U.S. distribution. She also served as vice president for drug product manufacturing in the U.S. and Latin America; general manager of Lilly del Caribe in Puerto Rico; and general manager of Lilly’s plant in Kinsale, Ireland. 

“Maria has been a leader with tremendous impact throughout her career – affecting nearly every aspect of Lilly manufacturing,” said Ricks. “She has helped Lilly earn the trust of our customers, making medicines with the highest levels of quality and safety, and turning our scientists’ life changing ideas into a reality.”

Jan Lundberg, Ph.D., executive vice president for science and technology and president of Lilly Research Labs, will retire at the end of May 2018 after eight years with Lilly. Prior to joining Lilly he served for 10 years as global head of discovery research at AstraZeneca. Lundberg’s tenure marks a period of tremendous R&D output with Lilly poised to launch as many as 20 new medicines in 10 years. The company improved late-stage success rates and shortened the clinical development timelines under Lundberg’s leadership. 

“Jan’s leadership has pushed Lilly to address some of the most challenging scientific questions head-on. Thanks to his determination and commitment as a scientist and leader, we’ve seen our pipeline of medicines grow significantly under his leadership,” said Ricks. “Jan has positioned Lilly well for future success, giving tremendous hope for patients.” 

(Source: PR Newswire)

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