Lilly Recognized for Fifth Straight Year on NAFE's 'Top 50 Companies for Executive Women'

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) has been named to the NAFE Top 50 Companies for Executive Women list for 2013.

Compiled by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), the list recognizes organizations whose policies and practices encourage women's advancement and whose numbers at the highest levels of leadership demonstrate that commitment.

The NAFE Top Companies survey evaluates companies on every aspect of women's advancement, including succession planning, profit-and-loss roles, gender pay parity, support programs and work-life balance.

Lilly submitted an extensive application to be considered for the "Top 50," answering more than 200 questions on female representation at all levels, but especially the corporate officer and profit-and-loss leadership ranks. The application also tracks access and usage of programs and policies that promote the advancement of women, as well as the training and accountability of managers in relation to the number of women who advance. To be considered, companies must have a minimum of two women on their boards of directors as well as at least 1000 employees in the U.S.

"Lilly's inclusion on NAFE's list for the fifth consecutive year is a great honor," said Shaun Hawkins, the company's chief diversity officer. "It is vital to attract a diverse workforce that reflects our diverse business environment, and we are confident that efforts to promote the professional growth and development of executive women will lead to better company results and innovative approaches to our work for patients."

Lilly's senior leaders are committed to diversity progress, including developing diversity workforce performance objectives such as career path planning for women and diverse employees. The company's succession-management process identifies leaders and managers assess employees to determine potential to take on more senior roles. Additionally, employees are provided many development and leadership training opportunities such as conferences, mentoring and networking programs and talent assessments.

Indianapolis-based employee Camellia Poplarski has participated in various programs, including the Lilly Global Women's Network and its satellite group, Women's District Sales Managers.The Women's Network, the largest of Lilly's 10 employee resource groups, works to enable women's development, connect women with the external resources and conferences and provides networking and mentoring opportunities with Lilly employees around the globe. Lilly's female executive committee members and other female leaders are involved in the network and in mentoring women.

"The broad nature of Lilly's women leadership development programs has helped me think outside my immediate role," said Poplarski, a vice president in Oncology sales. "Recently, I completed a three-week certification program in inclusive leadership that was the single-best leadership growth experience I've ever had. I find that Lilly leaders have supported genuine leadership development for me. Of course now it is up to me every day to make those experiences pay off."

Lilly is frequently ranked as one of the best companies to work and has received several workplace honors. Recent recognition includes Top 100 Best Places to Work/Working Mother magazine, Top Company for Working Families/DiversityInc magazine, Best Adoption Friendly Workplaces and receiving a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Best Places to Work Corporate Equality Index.

The NAFE Top 50 list is being published in the February/March issue of Working Mother magazine. NAFE also will honor each of the top companies at a gala luncheon in New York City on March 20.

About NAFE 
The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), founded in 1972, serves 20,000 members nationwide with networking, tools and solutions to strengthen and grow their careers and businesses. Working Mother magazine publishes the annual NAFE Top 50 list.  NAFE.com provides up-to-date information, community for women in business and access to member benefits. NAFE is a division of Working Mother Media, owned by the Bonnier Corporation.

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

Refer to: [email protected], (317) 651-6253 (office) - Janice Chavers

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SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company