Selecting Strategic Partners – The Lilly Way

By Ed Miseta, Chief Editor, Clinical Leader

As VP of Lilly Research Laboratories’ (LRL) operations and LRL Europe, Andy Dahlem puts his reputation on the line every day. When Eli Lilly and Company implemented its new outsourcing strategy several years ago, he was tasked with implementing it. The transformation took Lilly from a fully-integrated pharmaceutical company (FIPCO) to a fully-integrated pharmaceutical network (FIPNET) with numerous external partners.

In this position, Dahlem carries much of the responsibility for work done by external partners. If he seems very serious when discussing breakdowns in quality and reliability, it’s because he holds himself personally accountable for those lapses. “When I make a deal with a service provider to do the work, it’s my reputation that is at risk,” he states. “That is not a responsibility I take lightly.”