INDIANAPOLIS (June 26, 2019) —BioCrossroads today announced that, after a national search, Patricia (Patty) Martin, a former Eli Lilly and Company executive, has been named president and CEO. A veteran life sciences and community leader, she is BioCrossroads’ third CEO in its 17-year history. At Lilly, Martin was the chief operating officer (COO) of Lilly Diabetes for seven years and also served as Lilly’s Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), Chief Alliance Officer (CAO) and other leadership roles that included strategy, clinical product development, and investor relations. Martin also is involved in Indianapolis non-profit organizations. She is currently a member of the Indiana University Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council and was the board chair for the 500 Festival in 2016.
She succeeds David L. Johnson, who retired from the organization in December to assume his responsibilities as president and CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) on a full-time basis. Nora Doherty, who served as interim President and CEO during the search, will be returning to her position as Senior Vice President of BioCrossroads and Managing Director of its Seed Funds.
“Patty understands how advancements in science can benefit the lives of millions of people around the world, and her long list of accomplishments demonstrates that fact. Her background is exactly what we need for the CEO of BioCrossroads, an organization nationally known for creating collaborations, answering life sciences market needs, and getting things done,” said Darren Carroll, BioCrossroads’ board chair and senior vice president of corporate development at Eli Lilly and Company. “Her roles at Lilly in building teams and engaging stakeholders and colleagues will serve her very well in her new position. The board of directors and I are very eager to work with Patty to continue the important mission of BioCrossroads.”
Martin brings a unique breadth of experience integrating science and business, key factors in BioCrossroads’ success. As COO of Lilly Diabetes, she was part of a leadership team that established a vision and strategy that uniquely addressed the increased prevalence and diverse needs of people living with diabetes. During her tenure, Lilly Diabetes launched an unprecedented six new products in 18 months, increasing sales from $6 billion to $8 billion. As CAO, she spearheaded collaborative efforts to ensure the success of Lilly’s partnerships and facilitated cross-functional and cross-disciplinary cooperation to deliver results.
“I’m passionate about the life sciences and the impact they can have on people and the community, particularly on Indiana,” said Martin. “I’m honored to lead this organization and to continue its legacy of advancing the life sciences in the state by bringing together industry, academia and philanthropy in new and collaborative ways. Indiana has a rich life sciences history and an exciting future. It is my honor to advance the mission of BioCrossroads and ensure everyone is aware of the life-changing and life-saving work that is happening here.”
A graduate of Indiana University, Martin also earned her MBA from the Harvard School of Business. She is a board member of the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition and was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Martin is also a member of the board of trustees of the Christian Theological Seminary.
Martin will begin her role on July 1, 2019.
About BioCrossroads
BioCrossroads (www.biocrossroads.com) is Indiana’s initiative to grow, advance and invest in the life sciences, a public-private collaboration that supports the region’s existing research and corporate strengths while encouraging new business development. BioCrossroads invests capital and provides support to life sciences businesses, launches new life sciences enterprises (Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, 16 Tech, Indiana Health Information Exchange, Fairbanks Institute for Healthy Communities, BioCrossroadsLINX, OrthoWorx and Datalys Center), expands collaboration and partnerships among Indiana’s life science institutions, promotes science education and markets Indiana’s life sciences industry.
