John C. Lechleiter (born 1952) is an American businessman and chemist. He served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eli Lilly and Company from April 2008 to December 2016. John Lechleiter's successor i
David Ricks
who assumed the role of president and CEO in January 2017. He is the eldest of nine children of Jeanne and John H. Lechleiter. Lechleiter first participated in laboratory research in a summer research program at the University of Minnesota in 1974. Lechleiter received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from

Xavier University Xavier University ( ) is a private Jesuit university in Cincinnati and Evanston (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Xavier has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,860 stud ...

in 1975. He went on to receive a master's degree and a PhD in organic chemistry from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in 1980 after studying on a National Science Foundation Fellowship. His thesis advisor was Dr. Paul A. Wender. John C. Lechleiter and his wife Sarah live in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, have three children, Andrew, Daniel and Elizabeth, and several grandchildren.

Career

Lechleiter joined Eli Lilly and company in 1979 as senior organic chemist. From 1984 to 1986, he served as director of pharmaceutical product development at the

Lilly Research Centre The Lilly Research Centre is a medical research centre in Surrey. It is the European headquarters of Eli Lilly and Company. History In 1968, when the centre opened, Eli Lilly was spending £20m on research in the UK. The average research cost of ...

Limited in

Windlesham Windlesham is a village in the Surrey Heath borough of Surrey, England, approximately south west of central London. Its name derives from the Windle Brook, which runs south of the village into Chobham, and the common suffix 'ham', the Old Engli ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. In 1986, he returned to the US as manager of research and development projects for Europe. He became Director of development projects management in 1988, Executive Director of pharmaceutical product development in 1991, Vice President of pharmaceutical product development in 1993, and Vice President of regulatory affairs in 1994. Lechleiter became Vice President for development and regulatory affairs in 1996, and Senior Vice President of pharmaceutical products in 1998. In 2001, he was appointed Executive Vice President for pharmaceutical products and corporate development. In a 2003 e-mail, he discussed the use of the anti-

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

drug

Zyprexa Olanzapine (sold under the trade name Zyprexa among others) is an atypical antipsychotic primarily used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. For schizophrenia, it can be used for both new-onset disease and long-term maintenance. It is ta ...

for "disruptive kids",(an "

off-label Off-label use is the use of pharmaceutical drugs for an unapproved indication or in an unapproved age group, dosage, or route of administration. Both prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs (OTCs) can be used in off-label ways, although ...

" use, for which drug manufacturers are not legally permitted to encourage) even if it was not approved by federal regulators because it could lead to

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

.“The fact we are now talking to child psychs and peds and others about Strattera means that we must seize the opportunity to expand our work with Zyprexa in this same child-adolescent population." In 2004, he became Executive Vice President for pharmaceutical operations. John Lechleiter served as Lilly's president and chief operating officer beginning in October 2005. He also joined Lilly's Board of Directors at that time. Lechleiter was elected as Lilly’s president and chief executive officer (CEO), effective April 1, 2008. Effective January 1, 2009, Lechleiter was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eli Lilly and Company, succeeding

Sidney Taurel Sidney Taurel (born February 9, 1949, in Casablanca) is an American businessman. He is the chairman of Pearson plc and chairman emeritus of Eli Lilly and Company, where he had a 37-year career and served as chairman and chief executive officer ...

. In 2012, he earned US$15.57 million. He is credited with successfully guiding the company through a difficult period in which patent protection expired for four of its main products ( Gemzar,

, Cymbalta and

Evista Raloxifene, sold under the brand name Evista among others, is a medication used to prevent and treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and those on glucocorticoids. For osteoporosis it is less preferred than bisphosphonates. It is also used t ...

), and for establishing a promising pipeline of possible new drugs. His advice to others is "We like to move quickly, but the most important thing is to be patient, resolute, and be guided by the data." Lechleiter is a member of the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all ...

, the

Business Roundtable The Business Roundtable (BRT) is a nonprofit lobbyist association based in Washington, D.C. whose members are chief executive officers of major United States companies. Unlike the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, whose members are entire businesses, BR ...

and

The Business Council The Business Council is an organization of business leaders headquartered in Washington, D.C. He is Chairman of the

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA, pronounced ), formerly known as the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, is a trade group representing companies in the pharmaceutical industry in the United States. Founded in 195 ...

and President of the

International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) is a trade association that represents leading innovative pharmaceutical companies at the international level and in official relations with the United Nations. I ...

. Lechleiter is on the Boards of Directors of

Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...

(from 2009), the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and the

Great Lakes Chemical Corporation Great Lakes Chemical Corporation was a chemical research, production, sales and distribution company that produced specialty chemicals used for polymers, fire suppressants and retardants, pool and spa water purification systems and various other a ...

. He has served on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Xavier University, for a three-year term beginning in September 2004, and on the board of the Life Sciences Foundation. He serves as a distinguished advisor to the

Children's Museum of Indianapolis The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest children's museum. It is located at 3000 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana in the United Northwest Area neighborhood of the city. The museum is accredited by the American Al ...

. In 2014 he became chairman of

United Way Worldwide United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds ...

, which Lilly has supported for many years through both corporate giving and volunteerism. Lilly employees are encouraged to participate in the Lilly Global Day of Service, an internationally observed day of charitable work in their communities. Lechleiter began the initiative in 2008, the year that he became CEO. Lechleiter has identified poor K-12 and STEM education as "this country's Achilles' heel", and the Lechleiter family has contributed towards K-12 education via the Catholic Education Foundation of Louisville.

Awards and honors

He has received Honorary Doctorates from Marian University (2006), the

University of Indianapolis The University of Indianapolis (UIndy) is a private United Methodist Church-affiliated university in Indianapolis, Indiana. It offers Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees. It was founded in 1902 as Indiana Central University and ...

(2012), and the

National University of Ireland The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called ''university college, constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under t ...

(2012). In 2012, he was awarded the inaugural Global Health Partner Award from

Project HOPE Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is an international global health and humanitarian aid non-governmental organization founded in the United States in 1958. Project HOPE works in five main areas: disasters and health cri ...

. In 2014, he was named as the August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year for his work in supporting the development of the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute. In 2015, he received the 2015 International Citizen of the Year Award from the International Center of Indianapolis, Indiana.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lechleiter, John C. 1952 births Living people Organic chemists Xavier University alumni Harvard University alumni American chief executives Presidents of Eli Lilly and Company Nike, Inc. people