WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has appointed David A. Ricks to the Purdue University Board of Trustees, effective January 1, 2025 through July 1, 2027.

Ricks is chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company. Under his leadership, Lilly has delivered record research and development results and innovative medicines that reach more and more people, positioning the company for sustainable growth and an expanded role in the advancement of human health.

Ricks will fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of chairman Michael Berghoff. Trustees have elected Gary Lehman as chairman and Mike Klipsch as vice chairman, effective January 1.

Lilly’s innovation strategy has created a pipeline that is among the most valuable in the industry since Ricks became chairman and CEO in 2017. Previously, Ricks held roles spanning functions, geographies and therapeutic areas after joining the company as a business development associate in 1996. as CEO of Lilly Canada, president and general manager of Lilly China, president of Lilly USA and president of Lilly Bio-Medicines.

Supporting the health innovation ecosystem and local communities is also a priority. Ricks serves on the boards of directors of Adobe, Business Roundtable, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, The Business Council, the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Council for Inclusive Innovation, and Central Indiana Corporate Partnership .

Ricks received a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue in 1990 and an MBA from Indiana University in 1996. He has received an honorary doctorate in pharmaceutical management from Purdue.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution that demonstrates excellence on a large scale. Ranked among the top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with unparalleled quality and scale. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue in a variety of modes and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition for thirteen years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in its relentless pursuit of the next big leap – including the first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative – at https://www.purdue.edu / president/strategic initiatives.