Leading Health Forward – Lina Polimeni

In this episode of Spread Love in Organizations, Naji Gehchan sits down with Lina Polimeni, Chief Marketing Officer, Consumer at Eli Lilly, to explore what it truly means to lead with purpose in healthcare marketing. Lina shares her unconventional journey into the industry, from aspiring to work in music and film to building a 20+ year career at Lilly, and how her passion for meaningful, impactful work has shaped her leadership philosophy.

Together, they dive into the evolution of healthcare marketing, emphasizing the need to move beyond conversations centered on illness and instead bring health into everyday life. Lina highlights the power of emotional storytelling, authenticity, and cultural relevance in driving real impact, far beyond traditional metrics. She also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how she fosters bold creativity within her teams by creating a culture of trust, accountability, and psychological safety.

The conversation goes deeper into leadership, inspiration, and personal growth. Lina reflects on the importance of experiences outside of work to fuel creativity, the influence of her upbringing on her leadership style, and her belief that true impact lies in shaping both culture and future leaders. Her closing message is a powerful reminder: healthcare leaders should see themselves not just as leaders in healthcare, but as leaders of health, bringing it to the forefront of everyday conversations and ultimately improving lives.

"Don’t think of yourself as a healthcare leader. Think of yourself as a leader in health."

MEET OUR GUEST Lina Polimeni SVP, Chief Marketing Officer Consumer at Eli Lilly and Company.

Lina Polimeni leads Eli Lilly and Company’s global consumer marketing strategy across its corporate brand and medicine portfolio. Since joining Lilly in 2004, she has held a range of leadership roles across business and marketing, including leading U.S. Direct-to-Consumer advertising, serving as Cialis regional brand leader for Australia, Canada, and Europe, and launching Taltz with consumers while leading marketing for diabetes. She has spearheaded transformative initiatives that have reshaped the company’s approach to media, multicultural marketing, sports partnerships, and celebrity engagement. Polimeni’s campaigns have earned multiple Effie Awards and positioned Lilly at the forefront of purpose-driven, emotionally resonant storytelling that builds trust and drives better patient outcomes. An influential voice in marketing, she has been recognized as one of Campaign US’s Top 50 CMOs, an Ad Age Woman to Watch, and a 2025 Campaign Inspiring Women honoree. She continues to push boundaries with work that fuses creativity, impact, and purpose—bringing category-breaking campaigns to life that redefine what healthcare marketing can achieve.