INDIANAPOLIS, April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) has been named to the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list. Lilly ranked 29th, an increase from its 2011 rating of 39.

DiversityInc's "Top 50 Companies for Diversity" is known as the leading assessment of diversity management globally. To make the list, participating companies must have more than 1,000 employees and demonstrate strength in key diversity areas: CEO commitment, human capital, corporate and organizational communications, and supplier diversity ­­– while also showing year-to-year progress in diversity initiatives.

"We believe diversity is critical to innovation. Our inclusion on the DiversityInc list is a great honor and validation of our efforts to create an environment where innovation can flourish," said Shaun Hawkins, chief diversity officer. "Embracing diversity is at the core of our long-held value of respect for people. It is the lens through which we understand and respond to the unique needs of the millions of individuals who depend on our medicines.

"Our diversity commitment extends through the full spectrum of our business, including our supply chain, clinical trial strategy and marketing. We also work to ensure that diversity is embedded in our global practices, policies and training, and in recent years, we have increased our leaders' accountability for developing diverse talent," Hawkins said.

Methodology
A total of 587 companies participated in the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 competition, up 11 percent from last year. The evaluation for placement consists of more than 300 empirical questions across four areas: CEO commitment, human capital, corporate and organizational communications, and supplier diversity.

The results are determined by statistical analysis. It is an independent editorial process and there is no fee to enter the competition and no requirement to conduct business with DiversityInc.

There has been significant movement on the list this year:

• Twenty companies moved up in rank; 24 moved down; six kept the same ranking
• Three companies moved on to the list from the 25 Noteworthy Companies list last year
• Two companies came back to the list after falling off last year
• Two companies made the list for the first time, one of which was a first-time participant

The top 50 companies, selected from among 587 submissions, were announced April 24 in New York. To see the full list, visit http://diversityinc.com/the-diversityinc-top-50-companies-for-diversity-2012/.

To learn more about diversity at Lilly, visit www.lilly.com/about/diversity/Pages/diversity.aspx.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers - through medicines and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com. C-LLY

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SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company