Speaker Details

John Lechleiter
Chairman, President and CEO, Eli Lilly and Company

John C. Lechleiter, Ph.D., has served as president and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Company since  April 2008 and as chairman of the board of directors  since December of that year.

Lechleiter joined Lilly in 1979 as a senior organic chemist in process research and development and became head of that department in 1982.  In 1984, he began serving as director of pharmaceutical product development for the Lilly Research Centre Limited in Windlesham, England.

He returned to the United States in 1986 as manager of research and development projects for Europe.  In 1988, he became director of development projects management, and he assumed additional responsibility for pharmaceutical regulatory affairs the following year.  In 1991, Lechleiter was named executive director of pharmaceutical product development, and he became vice president in 1993.  He was appointed vice president of regulatory affairs in 1994, was named vice president for development and regulatory affairs in 1996, and became senior vice president of pharmaceutical products in 1998.

In 2001, Lechleiter was appointed executive vice president for pharmaceutical products and corporate development.  In 2004, he became Lillys executive vice president for pharmaceutical operations.  And in 2005, he was named president and chief operating officer and joined the board of directors.

Lechleiter received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1975.  He subsequently studied organic chemistry as a National Science Foundation Fellow at Harvard University, where he received his masters and doctorate degrees.  In 2006, Lechleiter received an honorary doctorate of business administration from Marian University (Indianapolis, Indiana).

Lechleiter is a member of the American Chemical Society and the Business Roundtable.

Dr. Lechleiter serves as chairman-elect of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and on the boards of United Way Worldwide, Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio), Life Sciences Foundation, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, and the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee.  He also serves on the board of Nike, Inc.

 

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