Sidney Taurel

Sidney Taurel (born February 9, 1949, in Casablanca) is a Moroccan-born American businessman. He is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eli Lilly and Company. He became chief executive officer in July 1998 and chairman of the board of directors on January 1, 1999. He was succeeded as chief executive officer by John C. Lechleiter on April 1, 2008. He now serves as an advisor at Moelis & Company. He regularly advises Almirall S.A. on issues of corporate strategy.

After graduating from EDHEC Business School, in France, in 1969, he received an MBA degree from Columbia Business School in 1971. He married Kathryn H. Fleischmann in 1977, with whom he has three children. Taurel became an American citizen in November 1995.

Taurel joined the Lilly subsidiary Eli Lilly International Corporation in 1971 as a marketing associate. He became general manager of the company's affiliate in Brazil in 1981 and was appointed to the London-based position of vice president of Lilly European operations in 1983. He was named executive vice president of Eli Lilly and Company and president of its pharmaceutical division in 1993. Three years later, he was promoted to president by Randall L. Tobias and then to chief operating officer.

According to Forbes Magazine Taurel was paid $7.2 million in total compensation by Eli Lilly in 2005 and $12.95 million in 2006.

A U.S. citizen since 1995, Sidney received the 2000 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations. Also in 2001, the Anti-Defamation League honored Taurel with its American Heritage Award.

In 2002, was named by U.S. President George W. Bush as a Homeland Security Advisory Council member. In 2003, Bush named Taurel a member of the President's Export Council. In April 2007, he was appointed to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations by President Bush. He is an officer of the French Legion of Honor.

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