Sidney Taurel

Sidney Taurel
Born	(1949-02-09) February 9, 1949 Casablanca, French Morocco
Nationality	American (naturalized 1995)
Occupation	Business executive
Years active	1971–present
Known for	Chairman of Pearson plc; Chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company (1998–2008)

Sidney Taurel (born February 9, 1949) is an American executive originally from Spain. He currently serves as chairman of Pearson plc and holds the title of chairman emeritus at Eli Lilly and Company, where he spent 37 years, including a decade as chairman and CEO from 1998 until 2008. Taurel assumed the chairmanship of Pearson in January 2016. Additionally, he sits on the board of IBM and provides strategic guidance to Almirall S.A..

Early life and education

Taurel was born on February 9, 1949, in Casablanca, within the French Morocco, holding Spanish nationality at birth. He completed his early schooling in Casablanca before earning a degree from École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Paris in 1969. Subsequently, he obtained his MBA from Columbia Business School in 1971. Later in his career, he was honored with an honorary doctorate by Indiana University.

Career

Beginning his professional journey in 1971, Taurel joined Eli Lilly International Corporation, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, as a marketing associate. His career path included assignments in Indianapolis, São Paulo, and Paris. By 1981, he advanced to general manager of Lilly’s Brazilian operations and was promoted to vice president overseeing European activities from London in 1983. In 1993, he became executive vice president and head of the pharmaceutical division, followed by elevation to president and chief operating officer in 1996.

During his tenure as chairman and CEO between 1998 and 2008, Taurel navigated Eli Lilly through the loss of patent protection for its flagship drug Prozac while preserving the company’s autonomy. He prioritized expanding global reach, boosting research and development expenditures, fostering strategic alliances, and supervised the introduction of nearly a dozen new medications that contributed to almost doubling company revenues. From 1998 to 1999, he also chaired the industry association Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Accolades

Having become a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1995, Taurel was honored with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2000 and received the American Heritage Award from the Anti-Defamation League in 2001. Under President George W. Bush, he was appointed to several advisory roles including the Homeland Security Advisory Council (2002), the President's Export Council (2003), and the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (2007). He has been recognized as an officer of the prestigious French Legion of Honor.

Taurel’s leadership experience extends to serving as president of PhRMA, membership in The Business Council, former participation in the Business Roundtable, and board roles at organizations such as ITT, McGraw-Hill Companies, and RCA Tennis Championships. He contributes as a member of Columbia Business School’s board of overseers and is a trustee at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

In October 2015, he was named chairman of Pearson plc, an international education and publishing firm headquartered in London.

Personal life

In 1977, Taurel married Kathryn H Fleischmann from São Paulo, Brazil. The couple had three children: Alex (born 1979 in Paris), Patrick (born 1982 in São Paulo), and Olivia (born 1988 in Indianapolis). The entire family acquired American citizenship in 1995. Kathryn passed away in 2014.

External links

• Frontline interview with Taurel June 19, 2003