Korea Lilly, the Korea subsidiary of U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly and Company, said on the 1st that it appointed Seiya Komatsu as its new chief executive officer.
Chief Executive Seiya Komatsu is a business leader who began a career at Lilly as a recruiter and built global business experience across sales, marketing, business innovation, and organizational operations in Japan and the United States.
Komatsu earned an MBA from Brigham Young University. Starting in sales for the diabetes division at Lilly Japan, Komatsu worked on business innovation at Lilly's global headquarters and also served as a district sales manager in Texas. From 2020, Komatsu led incretin portfolio brand marketing at Lilly Japan and, immediately before being named head of Korea Lilly, served as executive vice president overseeing the neuroscience business unit at Lilly Japan.
Komatsu said, "It is an honor to lead Korea Lilly in this meaningful year marking the 150th anniversary of Eli Lilly and Company," adding, "Korea is a key strategic market for Lilly, equipped with world-class bio infrastructure and strong research capabilities, and I will do my best to expedite the introduction of innovative therapies and improve treatment access for patients in Korea."
Komatsu added, "I will serve as a bridge connecting Lilly's global network with Korea's bio and pharmaceutical industries and carry forward Lilly's values of patient-centered innovation and care in Korea."
Korea Lilly supplies innovative therapies and conducts clinical research across a range of treatment areas, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, oncology, and immunology. Recently, it signed a $500 million investment agreement with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and is expanding collaboration with Korea's bio-innovation ecosystem, including plans to establish the Lilly Gateway Labs (LGL) Korea hub in Songdo, Incheon.