Eli Lilly and Company recently renewed its longstanding commitment to the Charles P. Bonini Partnership for Diversity Fellowship Program. Lilly has been a long time partner in this unique corporate fellowship program named after emeritus professor Charles P. Bonini, a former director of the MBA program. Bonini was a guiding force in the mid-1990s behind the creation of the program as an avenue for providing fellowship support to exceptional MBA students who — through their culture, class, race, ethnicity, background, and life experiences — are able to bring unique perspective to the school.
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Eli Lilly Fellowship recipient Aja Edmond, MBA Class of 2012
Since then, the program has enabled participating companies to identify and support talented students at Stanford GSB. In addition to receiving a full-tuition grant for the two-year MBA program, Bonini Fellows undertake a competitively compensated internship opportunity for 9 to 12 months at the firm prior to enrollment at the school.
Lilly is pleased to help talented students build strong leadership skills through the unique combination of Stanford GSB education and exposure to broader professional development opportunities. We believe strongly in the value of the Partnership for Diversity Fellowship Program and have seen first-hand its impact on many motivated individuals who are making a difference in the workplace and the world,” notes Phyllis Ferrell, MBA ’01, senior director at Lilly.
Lilly is currently sponsoring two Bonini Fellows: second-year MBA candidate Juan Pablo Mas and first-year MBA candidate Aja Edmond. “This program made it possible for me to gain relevant work experience that I will be able to leverage during and after business school for years to come,” reflects Edmond. “My first quarter at Stanford GSB confirmed everything I expected and everything the Partnership for Diversity program seeks to support — diversity of people and their backgrounds, opinions, thoughts and goals.”
Juan Pablo Mas adds, “It is a privilege to have been selected as a Bonini Fellow. This vote of confidence drives me to grow and achieve more than I might otherwise have.”
Ferrell explains, “Lilly supports programs such as this fellowship because of our commitment to diversity. Varied perspectives and experiences provide the insights to discover new medicines and deliver on our promise to provide better patient outcomes. Our diversity commitment extends through the full spectrum of our business, including our clinical trial strategy and our supply chain.”
The school’s ongoing partnership with Lilly continues to build mutually beneficial relationships, and offers Bonini Fellows a strong foundation for developing their careers within an organization that clearly invests in a diverse leadership pipeline for the future.
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