INDIANAPOLIS, June 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced today that Melissa Seymour will join the company as executive vice president of Global Quality and member of the company's Executive Committee, effective July 22, 2024. Seymour currently serves as the chief quality officer for Bristol Myers Squibb and succeeds Johna Norton, whose retirement after 34 years of service was announced earlier this year.

"As we expand global capacity to meet demand and support pipeline growth, we remain committed to ensuring our medicines are produced to the highest quality standards," said David A. Ricks, Lilly's chair and CEO. "With more than 25 years of experience and a proven track record of leading strategic quality initiatives across product lifecycles, Melissa will further advance our culture of quality, which has been integral to our success in bringing innovative medicines to people around the world."

Seymour is recognized as one of the foremost quality leaders in the pharmaceutical industry. She has held senior leadership roles at global pharmaceutical companies, including Bristol Myers Squibb and Biogen, with extended experience at Novo Nordisk and Glaxo Smith Kline. She has led the development of quality compliance strategies, implemented quality processes and systems, and developed talent to ensure the highest level of quality and compliance in the pharmaceutical industry.

"I am excited to contribute to Lilly's exceptional quality culture, where patient health and safety remain at the forefront of our operations," said Seymour. "With the rapid expansion and promising pipeline at Lilly, maintaining high standards of quality is paramount and I am thrilled to play a role in shaping the company's future."

Seymour holds bachelor's degrees in biological sciences and biochemistry from North Carolina State University and an executive MBA from Duke University. She also has several quality-related certifications from the American Society for Quality, and contributes to the larger industry through participation on nonprofit boards, including the Parenteral Drug Association and other consortiums.

Ricks added, "Johna Norton's positive impact extends to the millions of people who depend on our medicines every day. We are grateful for her years of excellent service and contributions, which will continue to benefit Lilly after her retirement."

About Lilly

Lilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help more than 51 million people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes care; treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease; providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/news, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. C-LLY

Lilly Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding leadership changes and expectations for the future.  All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The words "will", "anticipate" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially due to various factors. The following include some but not all of the factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated, including the significant costs and uncertainties in the pharmaceutical research and development process, including with respect to the timing and process of obtaining regulatory approvals; the impact and outcome of acquisitions and business development transactions and related costs; the expiration of intellectual property protection for certain of the company's products and competition from generic and/or biosimilar products; the company's ability to protect and enforce patents and other intellectual property; changes in patent law or regulations related to data package exclusivity; competitive developments affecting current products and the company's pipeline; market uptake of recently launched products; information technology system inadequacies, breaches, or operating failures; unauthorized access, disclosure, misappropriation, or compromise of confidential information or other data stored in the company's information technology systems, networks, and facilities, or those of third parties with whom the company shares its data; the impact of global macroeconomic conditions, trade disruptions, disputes, unrest, war, regional dependencies, or other costs, uncertainties and risks related to engaging in business globally; unexpected safety or efficacy concerns associated with the company's products; litigation, investigations, or other similar proceedings involving past, current, or future products or commercial activities as the company is largely self-insured; issues with product supply and regulatory approvals stemming from manufacturing difficulties, disruptions, or shortages, including as a result of unpredictability and variability in demand, labor shortages, third-party performance, quality, or regulatory actions related to our facilities; dependence on certain products for a significant percentage of our total revenue and an increasingly consolidated supply chain; reliance on third-party relationships and outsourcing arrangements; the impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics, or pandemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; regulatory changes or other developments; regulatory actions regarding operations and products; continued pricing pressures and the impact of actions of governmental and private payers affecting pricing of, reimbursement for, and access to pharmaceuticals; devaluations in foreign currency exchange rates or changes in interest rates and inflation; changes in tax law, tax rates, or events that differ from the company's assumptions related to tax positions; asset impairments and restructuring charges; changes in accounting and reporting standards promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); regulatory compliance problems or government investigations; and actual or perceived deviation from environmental-, social-, or governance-related requirements or expectations. For additional information about the factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from forward-looking statements, please see the company's latest Form 10-K and subsequent Forms 8-K and 10-Q filed with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Except as is required by law, the company expressly disclaims any obligation to publicly release any revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.