Kenneth Custer, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Ken Custer is President and General Manager of Eli Lilly, Canada. Since joining Lilly in 2009 he has held roles of increasing responsibility across sales, marketing, and R&D. This includes leading preclinical and clinical development for important programs in diabetes, immunology, and COVID-19, as well as guiding Lilly's overall R&D strategy and transformation efforts. Prior to moving to Canada, he served as Sr. Vice President and Head of Corporate Business Development, where he was accountable for M&A, licensing, and partnerships across all stages of development, as well as Lilly’s efforts to foster the biotech ecosystem through investments, accelerator facilities, and value-added R&D solutions.

In addition to his work at Lilly, Ken is a board member of Jaguar Gene Therapy and Axovia Therapeutics. He is passionate about working at the intersection of science, technology, and business, and enjoys recruiting and mentoring early-in-career professionals who wish to apply their scientific and medical training to broader careers in biopharma.

Custer earned his bachelor's degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Reed College, and his doctoral degree in neuroscience from the University of Washington. He also holds an MBA in healthcare management from The Wharton School.