After graduating with his bachelor’s in chemistry from Purdue University, Derik Wittenberg ‘14 (MBA) began his career at Eli Lilly, where he worked in the Lilly Research Labs and manufacturing. For four years, Derik experienced a variety of lab settings, from discovery to manufacturing process development for Lilly’s biomolecule portfolio, but this experience also led him to a realization: he wanted to go beyond the lab.
“I always enjoyed the core nature of the lab, the concept of drug discovery, and just the pharmaceutical industry in general, but I knew that just being a contributor in the lab was never going to be enough for me,” said Derik. “I always wanted that seat at the decision-making table, and I wanted it sooner in my career rather than later. I knew an accelerator for that was to get additional education, and I made the decision to go the MBA route.”
Derik began his search for the MBA program that was right for him. As a working professional, Derik needed a program that would not only equip him with the skills to earn that seat at the decision-making table, but also offered the support and flexibility to earn his degree his way. And he found such a program at the University of Indianapolis.
“UIndy offered a small class setup and the flexibility that I really appreciated,” said Derik. “I wasn’t in a position personally where I wanted to take a hiatus or take a leave of absence from work so being able to go year-round part-time really sped up my process.”
Additionally, the MBA program within the School of Business offered a concentration in finance, which allowed Derik to apply his analytical, problem solving skills and curiosity from his science background to his coursework. After his first corporate finance course, Derik knew that he had chosen the right path.
“Once I took the first corporate finance course in the program, I thought, ‘Going down this path seems to make a lot of sense,’” recalled Derik. “It was an eye-opener for me that led me to accelerate my timeline of a career shift.”
While the MBA program consisted of several courses that empowered Derik to accelerate his career shift, there are two that Derik still consistently draws from in his role today. Cases in Finance, taught by Dr. Matt Will, exposed Derik to real-world business problems, requiring him to analyze each problem and discuss solutions. Quantitative Business Tools, taught by Dr. Karl Knapp, was the first time Derik had the opportunity to deep-dive into professional business analytics software such as Excel, Tableau and other programs.
“To me, that’s very practical,” said Derik. “The things we discussed in the Cases in Finance course are things that I do all the time in my day-to-day role, and that was a good foundation to be able to take anywhere you go.”
Derik didn’t have to wait to utilize his newfound knowledge; he was able to apply his lessons in real-time. “An MBA and STEM degree is a unique and valuable combo to have in the pharmaceutical industry or just the life science R&D industry in general,” said Derik.
Since graduating from the MBA program, Derik successfully shifted his career from the lab to corporate finance, rising through the ranks to earn a leadership position with one of the world’s leading animal health companies, Elanco. Today, Derik serves as Senior Director of R&D Operations and Transformation Strategy at Elanco. In this role, he leads a global team that is responsible for operating and running Elanco’s research and development sites. Derik described his team as “the enablers to help the research and development portfolio to be progressed.” Currently, Derik and his team are hard at work assisting with the move of Elanco’s headquarters from Greenfield, Indiana to downtown Indianapolis.
Derik has also been recognized for his professional success. In 2018, the University of Indianapolis Alumni Association selected Derik for the Distinguished Young Alumni Award. In 2023, he earned a coveted place in the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. Earlier this year he was recognized as a finalist for Indy’s Best and Brightest from Junior Achievement of Central Indiana.
“Yeah, I probably could have made a career shift without the additional education,” said Derik. “But no doubt the UIndy MBA accelerated that much quicker, it empowered me to reach high and I have no regrets about my path.”
