Diogo Rau

Diogo Rau is the executive vice president and chief information and digital officer of Eli Lilly and Company, a global pharmaceutical organization. In this role, Rau leads Lilly's information technology, cybersecurity, digital health, and advanced analytics and data science functions.

A Stanford University graduate with a bachelor's in computer science and a master's in industrial engineering and engineering management, Rau has experience spanning consulting, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership in technology and healthcare. He began his career as a consultant at A.T. Kearney and later founded GiftGateway, a software company focused on online rewards and recognition. Before joining Apple, Rau was a partner with McKinsey & Company, where he led the North America IT organization and governance practice and regularly presented at CIO forums and technology conferences. During his decade at Apple, Rau led the development and implementation of technology supporting the Apple Online Store and Apple retail stores, including the e-commerce platform, mobile point of sale, the Apple Store App, and systems used by store team members.

At Eli Lilly, Rau's appointment as executive vice president and chief information and digital officer reflects the company's strategic focus on digital transformation, information technology, cybersecurity, and data science. Under his leadership, Lilly has advanced digital initiatives, including bringing the development of "LillyDirect" in-house and fostering collaboration between technology teams and business units. Rau has publicly discussed the importance of improving the patient experience in healthcare, emphasizing the need to streamline processes for accessing medicine and supporting patient adherence.

Rau has also driven artificial intelligence innovation at Lilly. Under his leadership, the company developed "MagnolAI," a cloud-based solution for ingesting, visualizing, and transforming digital biomarker data into actionable medical insights. This platform earned Eli Lilly a US CIO 100 Award for innovation and IT leadership. Rau has been recognized in the technology industry, including being named to the Forbes CIO Next List, which highlights top technology leaders transforming their organizations and the role of the CIO.

Rau is a frequent speaker on technology, leadership, and healthcare, with appearances in McKinsey, Wall Street Journal, and at industry forums. He has participated in discussions such as the Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on talent management, research and development, and operational efficiency in the pharmaceutical sector. Rau advocates for bold leadership in technology, encouraging a shift away from the customer–supplier mindset and emphasizing the importance of people in digital transformation.