Naji Gehchan

Naji Gehchan is an accomplished biopharma physician executive with expertise in drug development, commercialization, and general management. He thrives in building and leading high-performing teams with care and discipline to deliver impactful results for patients. Currently, Naji serves as Head of Development Oncology at Eli Lilly, where he leads the development and global commercialization of an oncology therapy from early to late-phase clinical stages.

Previously, Naji held senior leadership roles across Australia, Canada, Europe, and the USA, successfully managing product launches and P&Ls while bringing life-changing medicines to patients. His dedication to patient care stems from formative experiences during his medical school years, where he volunteered with the Lebanese Red Cross as a first responder and team leader during periods of war and unrest. These experiences inspired his lifelong commitment to serving patients and leading with purpose.

In addition to his corporate work, Naji cofounded an e-health startup that was recognized as one of the hottest startups in MENA. He also launched SpreadLoveio.com, a podcast supported by MIT Sandbox, focused on purpose-driven, human-centered healthcare leadership. As a healthcare leadership and management lecturer at ESCP Business School since 2020 and a guest lecturer at the MIT Legatum Center, Naji is committed to sharing his expertise and insights to empower the next generation of leaders. He also serves as a mentor for MIT Sandbox and Nucleate Bio and is an External Commerce Consultant for the French government. Naji joined the MIT Sloan Enterprise Management Lab in 2024 as faculty mentor.