President Daniels to host fireside chat with Eli Lilly CEO during 7th Lilly Day at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A fireside chat between Purdue University President Mitch Daniels and David Ricks, chair and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company, will be the highlight of the seventh annual Lilly Day at Purdue on Wednesday (Aug. 31).

The conversation will be one of many chances throughout the day for Purdue students to hear how they can make an impact on the future of health care through a career with Eli Lilly and Company.

Tim Coleman (Eli Lilly photo)
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“We are excited to host Lilly Day at Purdue again this year,” said Tim Coleman (Management ’90), Lilly’s vice president and information officer, medicines development information and digital solutions. “It’s a great opportunity for students to learn about how we unite caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world.”

Eli Lilly and Company is one of the largest employers and oldest companies in Indiana. Every year, the Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company hires Purdue graduates in areas such as engineering, sales, finance, human resources, marketing, procurement, supply chain and more.

In fact, Lilly employs nearly 2,500 Purdue graduates — more than from any other university.

Lilly Day at Purdue will kick off at 10 a.m. with a two-hour “Connect & Chill” event. Students can bring their own beverage to the Centennial Mall Area and connect with Lilly employees in various areas of interest.

The fireside chat between Daniels and Ricks will take place 4-5 p.m. at Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse.

Ricks is a Purdue graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 1990. He joined Lilly as a business development associate in 1996 after completing his master’s degree in business administration at Indiana University.

Before being named chair and chief executive officer, Ricks spent 20 years in various management and executive leadership roles for Lilly. He held several management roles in U.S. marketing and sales before moving to Lilly Canada, where he served as director of pharmaceutical marketing and national sales director before being named general manager in 2005. In 2008, he began serving as president and general manager for Lilly China, and, in 2009, was named president of Lilly USA, the company’s largest affiliate. Ricks served as president of Lilly Bio-Medicines from 2012-16.

Following the fireside chat, students will be able to learn about career opportunities at Lilly in breakout sessions beginning at 5:20 p.m. in Stewart Center.

To learn more and register for Lilly Day at Purdue, students should visit purdue.university/LillyDay or text “LDAP2022” to 50500.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 5 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.