Lilly CEO named Watanabe Award winner
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Dave Ricks, the CEO of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co., is the recipient of the 2024 August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year Award.
BioCrossroads said Ricks is being recognized for his contributions to Indiana’s life sciences sector and his global impact on health care innovation.
Ricks received the award Thursday during BioCrossroads’ annual Life Sciences Summit.
The award honors individuals or organizations that have “significantly advanced the development, education, and promotion of Indiana’s life sciences and health care sector, personify the emerging face of the industry, and drive innovative developments that have both local and global impacts.”
BioCrossroads, the initiative designed to promote Indiana’s life sciences sector, highlighted the work Lilly has done under Ricks’ leadership to invest billions into research and development to address some of the most challenging diseases in areas such as obesity, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.
“His visionary leadership and strategic focus on innovation at Lilly have not only advanced the life sciences industry in Indiana but have also made a profound global impact on health care,” BioCrossroads CEO Vince Wong said in a news release. “Dave exemplifies the spirit of discovery and collaboration that this award represents.”
The award is named for Dr. August “Gus” M. Watanabe, the late chairman of BioCrossroads.