Visiting Eli Lilly: "Day in the Life" Conference Excursion
Jesse Markman, Maya Bhat, and Naomita Yadav
Issue date: 1/22/08 Section: Features
On the afternoon of December 6th, while our friends counted down the minutes until the next UMBSA happy hour, Jesse Markman, Maya Bhat, and Naomita Yadav were zipping down Interstate 69 in a rented Pontiac G6 on the way to Indianapolis. Mock interviews earlier that fall led to invitations from Eli Lilly and Company to attend a "Day in the Life" event, and we were eager to see what had been planned for us.
After several games of punch buggy left Maya badly abused, we finally made it to the Omni Hotel in Indianapolis. The posh hotel accommodations were a nice departure from the fragrant odor of dirty laundry and Chinese take-out we had become accustomed to. Upon arrival we were met by Drew Fine (a Ross alum and one of the architects of our trip), and he whisked us away to L'Explorateur for dinner.
The restaurant, located in Indianapolis' trendy Broad Ripple neighborhood, could easily hold its own against any of the Ann Arbor greats with its locally sourced food, fresh raw bar, and thoughtful presentation. We dined with five Lilly marketing managers (including Scott Moomaw, also a Ross alum and the other architect of our trip) with varied company backgrounds and enjoyed lots of interesting conversation over our three delicious courses.
The next morning we headed to Lilly's Corporate Center, in heart of downtown Indianapolis, to start our official Lilly visit. We had breakfast in the lovely company dining room with Jo Taylor, Executive Director in Lilly's Six Sigma program. Lilly is using its Six Sigma initiative to improve the internal system and work processes of the company, and it was interesting to hear about the challenges and opportunities in trying to change such a huge company from the inside out. Jo started her career with Lilly in sales, and in her 20 years with the company has had a range of sales, marketing, and management roles. What she loves most about Lilly is the people, as well as the opportunities to grow and develop your career.
After several games of punch buggy left Maya badly abused, we finally made it to the Omni Hotel in Indianapolis. The posh hotel accommodations were a nice departure from the fragrant odor of dirty laundry and Chinese take-out we had become accustomed to. Upon arrival we were met by Drew Fine (a Ross alum and one of the architects of our trip), and he whisked us away to L'Explorateur for dinner.
The restaurant, located in Indianapolis' trendy Broad Ripple neighborhood, could easily hold its own against any of the Ann Arbor greats with its locally sourced food, fresh raw bar, and thoughtful presentation. We dined with five Lilly marketing managers (including Scott Moomaw, also a Ross alum and the other architect of our trip) with varied company backgrounds and enjoyed lots of interesting conversation over our three delicious courses.
The next morning we headed to Lilly's Corporate Center, in heart of downtown Indianapolis, to start our official Lilly visit. We had breakfast in the lovely company dining room with Jo Taylor, Executive Director in Lilly's Six Sigma program. Lilly is using its Six Sigma initiative to improve the internal system and work processes of the company, and it was interesting to hear about the challenges and opportunities in trying to change such a huge company from the inside out. Jo started her career with Lilly in sales, and in her 20 years with the company has had a range of sales, marketing, and management roles. What she loves most about Lilly is the people, as well as the opportunities to grow and develop your career.
Be the first to comment on this story