Eli Lilly and Co. promoted John C. Lechleiter to president and COO. He will also join the company’s board of directors.
“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,” Chairman and CEO Sidney Taurel says. “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.”
Lechleiter earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Harvard University and 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 and was promoted to executive vice president of pharmaceutical products and corporate development in 2001. He assumed the role of executive vice president of pharmaceutical operations in early 2004, then took 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,” says 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.
Conseco Insurance Group
Edward C. Mackenzie was named vice president, policyholder services for Conseco Insurance Group.
Mackenzie has nearly 30 years of insurance industry experience, specializing in policyholder services. He began his career with Confederation Life Insurance Co., where he amassed an 18-year tenure in various operational and marketing roles. Since then, Mackenzie has provided operational leadership for insurance companies including Chubb Life Insurance Co., UnumProvident, and AEGON.
Mackenzie earned a bachelor of commerce degree from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
He earned the Chartered Life Underwriter; Fellow, Life Management Institute; and Associate, Life and Health Claims insurance industry designations.
Summit Realty Group
Richard F. Suja joined Summit Realty Group as senior director within the Industrial Advisory Services Group.
Suja brings more than 23 years of commercial real estate experience, specializing in industrial building, land and investment acquisitions and dispositions, build-to-suits, lease negotiations and corporate property portfolio management. He has sold or leased more than 8 million square feet of industrial, research and site development space totaling more than $345 million in transaction volume.
Prior to joining Summit, Suja was a Midwest partner of CB Richard Ellis’ Global Logistics Group and worked as vice president of industrial properties.
WellPoint Inc.
Susan Rawlings was promoted to president of senior services and senior vice president.
Rawlings joined WellPoint earlier this year and is responsible for all senior business operations including Medicare Supplement products, Medicare Advantage products and the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for seniors in California, Colorado, Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin and all states served by WellPoint’s Unicare brand.
Prior to joining WellPoint, she held several positions including vice president and head of retiree markets, and retiree strategy for Aetna Inc., where she had profit and loss accountability for its Medicare Advantage business and led the retiree strategy development across the enterprise.
Lynne Gross was promoted to president of senior markets, central region, and senior vice president.
Gross is responsible for the individual and group Medicare Advantage products, the Medicare Supplement products and the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Gross technically and operationally supports WellPoint’s central region for the Medicare Advantage and Part D products. She joined Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, then Community Mutual, in 1993 as vice president, network management.
Both Rawlings and Gross have focused their work on developing products and services that meet the health care needs of those ages 65 and older, while simultaneously educating industry groups, employers and Congress on the health care issues of this population and, more specifically, on issues involving the Medicare Modernization Act, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D.
Conseco Inc.
Conseco Inc. named Christopher J. Nickele executive vice president for new product development.
Nickele joins Conseco from Lincoln Financial Group, where he was vice president and business line leader, general manager and FPP director for Lincoln’s term line of business. He has also held other key actuarial positions at First Penn-Pacific, Zurich Kemper Life, and Conseco’s Bankers Life and Casualty unit.
Nickele earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from the University of Notre Dame. He is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and a participant of the ad hoc committee on Regulation XXX.
