Eli Lilly has appointed Ilya Yuffa as executive vice president and president, Lilly Global Markets, effective as of 1 January 2027, when Lilly’s US and international businesses will come together as Lilly Global Markets.
The company said that bringing these organisations together will accelerate decision-making, increase scalability and provide a unified capability to improve human health through expanded access to medicines around the world.
The news follows the announcement that Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president and president, Lilly International, has decided to retire at the end of 2026 after a 36-year career at Lilly.
David A. Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO, said: “To build on our momentum, now is the right time to consolidate our geographies for greater impact. Ilya has run both our international and US businesses, and his range of experience and commitment to excellence make him uniquely qualified to lead our customer-facing operations worldwide. He is joined by a proven team with the expertise and focus to help us reach even more people with our medicines.”
Yuffa joined Lilly in 1996 as a financial analyst and has held leadership roles in finance, business development, sales and general management, including president and general manager of Lilly’s Italy Hub, which covered more than 25 countries, president of Lilly Bio-Medicines, president of Lilly International and currently executive vice president and president, Lilly USA and Global Customer Capabilities.
Retiring president Jonsson’s career with the company began in 1990 when he joined as a sales representative in Sweden. He went on to lead Lilly in Sweden, Scandinavia, Italy and Japan, then served as president of Lilly Bio-Medicines and Lilly Immunology, as well as president of Lilly USA and Lilly’s cardiometabolic health business, before leading Lilly International.
Ricks commented: “For more than three decades, Patrik has dedicated his career to improving lives by bringing our medicines to people around the world.
“He has held multiple executive roles in the company spanning drug development and customer operations, including head of immunology, cardiometabolic health and Lilly USA. Today he applies his deep expertise in global launches across Lilly International. Patrik is a patient-focused, engaging team leader who has mentored countless colleagues. On behalf of our Board, leadership team and thousands of employees he has worked alongside, I thank Patrik for his service to our company.”