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President, Lilly Neuroscience; Executive Vice President, Eli Lilly and Co.
Achievements: Anne White has led the development of new drugs and new work structures at Eli Lilly and Co. Many of the medicines she helped develop are still helping people today, she said. As a team builder, she has led different aspects of the company, developing or merging groups and work cultures to create high-performing organizations. She also spearheaded a transformational change for the drugmaker, driving speed and increased productivity. Lilly, she said, is now recognized as having the fastest drug-development timelines across the industry. “It was the hardest thing I have ever undertaken,” she said of the organizational shift, “and the most rewarding.”
Career track: White began her career at Eli Lilly and Co. more than 25 years ago as an engineer on the process improvement team and later worked in research and development.
Giving back: She sits on the national board of Lambda Legal, an LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy organization. She also volunteers at the Little Red Door Cancer Agency and serves on the scientific advisory board for the Frankel Innovation Initiative, which supports R&D at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Mentors and mentoring: White said she was fortunate to have many mentors in her career and deeply enjoys being a mentor herself. “I made a point of choosing mentors with very different approaches from mine, who could challenge my thinking and stretch my perspective,” she said. As a mentor, she takes great satisfaction in seeing the people she has recruited and coached achieve their own goals and succeed. “Your opinion is valuable and important,” she said, “so speak up and speak with confidence.”
Work/life balance: A handful of steps, she said, can help someone be a good corporate leader and a good parent. One, give your family your full attention when you are together. “Being present for my family didn’t mean attending every soccer game or robotics competition,” she said, “but it did mean—and still does—staying off my phone and giving my family my full attention when we were together.” Two, explain to your children why your work matters so they will not become resentful. Three, speak up with your bosses and set boundaries, letting them know the time you do need off helps you be the most successful in your job. And finally, lean on your network. “Oftentimes, especially as women, we feel the need to do everything ourselves, even when we have a partner to rely on,” she said.•
Check out more Women of Influence honorees.
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