John Lechleiter, PhD
John Lechleiter has served as president and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Company since April 1, 2008. He became chairman of the board of directors on January 1, 2009.
John 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 later held roles in project management, regulatory affairs, product development, and pharma operations. In 2005, he was named president and chief operating officer and joined the board of directors.
John earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Xavier University and master’s and doctoral degrees in organic chemistry from Harvard University. He has received honorary doctorates from Marian University (Indianapolis, Indiana), the University of Indianapolis, the National University of Ireland, Indiana University, Franklin College, and Purdue University.
John is a member of the American Chemical Society. He serves on the board of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), as chairman of the U.S.-Japan Business Council and of United Way Worldwide, and on the boards of the Chemical Heritage Foundation and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership. He also serves on the boards of Nike, Inc. and Ford Motor Company.