With Eli Lilly awaiting a potentially game-changing FDA decision in the buzzy obesity field, the company is making leadership changes in the arena.
Mike Mason, president of Lilly diabetes and obesity, is retiring after 34 years with the Indianapolis-based drugmaker and will be replaced by Patrik Jonsson on January 1.
Jonsson, a 33-year Lilly veteran, will remain in place as president of Lilly USA. In this dual role, Jonsson will lead Lilly’s launched products and late-stage portfolio of diabetes and obesity medicines, led by juggernaut Mounjaro.
As part of the rearranging of the C-Suite, Jonsson will relinquish his duties as chief of Lilly Immunology. Taking over that post will be Daniel Skovronsky, M.D., Ph.D., who will also remain as the company’s chief scientific officer and president of Lilly Research Laboratories.
The expanded role puts Skovronsky in command of Lilly’s dermatology, gastroenterology and rheumatology products that are launched and are in late-stage development.
“The deep experience of our leadership team ensures that we will continue to accelerate our efforts in effective, innovative ways,” David Ricks, Lilly’s CEO, said in a statement.
Lilly also revealed that its EVP of corporate affairs and communications, Leigh Ann Pusey, will leave at the end of the year, with the company assigning her duties to “executive committee members,” it said.
Pusey, who came to Lilly in 2017 after serving for eight years as president and CEO of the American Insurance Association, is returning to Washington, D.C. for another opportunity, the company said.
Related to these moves, Lilly has hired Mark Genovese, M.D., formerly the senior VP of inflammation development at Gilead Sciences and professor at Stanford University. Genovese will join the company on Oct. 16, becoming its senior VP, immunology development, heading up Lilly’s mid- and late-stage immunology portfolio.
David Hyman, M.D., will become Lilly’s chief medical officer, reporting to Skovronsky, in addition to his duties heading up oncology development.
Additionally, Jennifer Oleksiw has been promoted to group VP, global chief customer officer, and will report to Ricks.