Lilly Announces Promotion of John C. Lechleiter to President and Chief Operating Officer
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept 20, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced that John C. Lechleiter, Ph.D., has been promoted to president and chief operating officer (COO) of the company and will also join the company's board of directors. Lechleiter will assume his new responsibilities effective October 1, 2005, and will continue to report directly to Chairman and CEO Sidney Taurel.
"This promotion reflects John's strong leadership in a series of challenging roles, his absolute commitment to putting patients first, and his deep connections with people inside and outside the company," Taurel said. "John's energy, passion, and resolve will continue to be critical assets as we work to take full advantage of our expanded product line in a cost-conscious, competitive global marketplace." Taurel added, "This new leadership structure, which provides a balance of both strategic and operational focus, is right for this time of rapid change. We want to be sure that our leadership team is in the best position to help people throughout the company deliver for the customer now and in the future. John's new role is an important step in making that happen."
Lechleiter earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Harvard University and he joined Lilly in 1979 as a senior organic chemist. His experiences include roles in pharmaceutical product development, project management and regulatory affairs. He was appointed senior vice president, pharmaceutical products in 1998. He was promoted to executive vice president of pharmaceutical products and corporate development in 2001, assumed the role of executive vice president of pharmaceutical operations in early 2004, and then took the added responsibility for the company's U.S. operations later in 2004.
"I am honored and excited to have this opportunity to serve a company like Lilly -- a company whose values I share and whose people I respect," said Lechleiter. "I am anxious to lead our efforts in this new capacity, and to ensure that all of our stakeholders -- our customers, shareholders, partners, and colleagues -- benefit from our terrific product portfolio."
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers -- through medicines and information -- for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.
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