derica rice – improving the community’s health
photo by steed media service |
Senior VP and Chief Financial Officer, Eli Lilly and Co.
Over the course of his professional career, Derica Rice has learned to heed sound advice. Whether it was the wisdom of his professional mentors, or the homespun advice of his grandmother, Rice has taken every lesson and applied it to his life. As the senior vice president of and chief financial officer for Eli Lilly and Co., that guidance has been useful. “Everything that I do is geared towards us [being] in the best position to improve patient outcome,” he says. “I’m [also] responsible for our balance sheet, which is how we manage investments across the firm.”
Rice has been with Lilly for more than 18 years, and knows the importance of building strong relationships with the community and educating the populace about health care. In that regard, Lilly has been on the cutting edge of educating the African American community and engaging in awareness and education initiatives that reach the people. “What we’re finding is that in today’s environment, diseases are as much affected by lifestyle [as] medicines. If we truly want to improve the outcomes of patients, we’ve got to provide a more holistic approach.”
Rice is committed to mastering that approach. “I do what I do because [at Lilly] I’m able to meet both my professional and my personal aspirations in one opportunity,” Rice shares. “My grandmother used to tell me, ‘If you [can]help one person in your life, you’ve reaped the riches of the world.’ In some cases, I’m able to help thousands — if not millions — and that gives me great gratification.” –todd williams
