Ex-Indianapolis Mayor Peterson leaving Lilly executive post
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Former Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson is leaving Eli Lilly & Co. after more than seven years as a senior executive.
The Indianapolis-based drugmaker announced Thursday that Peterson was stepping down at the end of March to pursue personal business interests and volunteer activities. Peterson has been Lilly’s senior vice president of corporate affairs and communications since mid-2009.
Peterson was prominent in Lilly’s opposition to the state’s religious-objections law that was adopted in 2015 despite protesters saying it was anti-gay. Lilly and some other companies maintained the law would hurt them in recruiting top employees to Indiana.
Peterson was president of an Indianapolis real estate company and a top aide to Democratic Gov. Evan Bayh before being elected mayor in 1999. He lost his bid for a third term in 2007.