Eli Lilly and Company hires Apple's retail information technology chief

Credit: Eli Lilly and Company

Rau will join Lilly as the company's senior vice president and chief information and digital officer, leading the company's push toward data use, analytics, and machine learning. Rau succeeds Aarti Shah, who plans to retire from the company after 27 years.

Prior to the new role, Rau spent 10 years as Apple's top executive for retail information technology. He led the development and implementation of technologies on the Apple Online Store and Apple retail store.

His work includes implementing Apple's e-commerce platform, mobile point of sale systems, the Apple Store app, and technologies used by Apple Store retail staffers.

"Diogo's expertise and leadership roles at Apple, along with his extensive experience in guiding technology strategy, will be invaluable to Lilly as we change how we discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize innovative new medicines to meet the increasing expectations of patients, physicians, and health care systems," said David Ricks, Lilly chairman and CEO.

Lilly is an Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company. The company is currently the largest psychiatric medication manufacturer and produces Prozac and Cymbalta, among other drugs.

"I am very pleased to join the Lilly team at such an amazing time. Machine learning can open so many opportunities, and technology can strengthen our relationship with patients and physicians. I greatly admire Lilly's mission and values, and I look forward to contributing to the company's longstanding record of innovation," Rau said.