Divakar Ramakrishnan, PhD

Executive Director, Manufacturing Science and Technology, Eli Lilly and Company

Divakar Ramakrishnan, PhD, is Executive Director of Manufacturing Science and Technology at Eli Lilly and Company. In this role, he serves as the chief technologist supporting Lilly’s worldwide manufacturing operations and the manufacturing R&D organization.

Ramakrishnan joined Lilly in 1998 as a senior scientist in Lilly Research Laboratories where he was involved in the process development, scale-up, engineering design, and commercialization of Xigris, a life saving biotech drug for the treatment of sepsis. 

Since then, he has had various assignments at Lilly, including positions as a Bioprocess Research Scientist, Head of Bioprocess Development, Director of Biotech Manufacturing Strategy, and Director of Strategic Planning. Ramakrishnan has also served as a management consultant for Cook Pharmica, LLC, a contract biotech manufacturing start-up, assisting them in developing their business strategy and recruiting and directing their start-up operations and technical teams.

Ramakrishnan has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a B. Tech in Chemical Engineering from AC Tech, Anna University in India.