Eli Lilly’s Chief Media Officer on ‘Gaining Strength As You Go’

It all started with going against her parents’ wishes and chasing her dreams. Ever since Lina Polimeni left her home country of Italy and arrived in the United States 20 years ago, she has seen and triumphed through it all. While it would have been easy to return home after facing adversities like trying to find entry-level jobs while on a student visa and being type-casted on numerous occasions, Lina knew the value in herself and what she could bring to the advertising industry. Well, the rest of the industry can thank her for her persistence. Today, as the Chief Media Officer for the major American pharmaceutical, Eli Lilly and Company, Lina and her team oversee everything from media investment to major sponsorships to multicultural marketing for consumers in the US. Her most recent innovation: Consumer Start-Up, a new, digital-first, go-to-market model and prototype that she created to essentially flip the traditional pharma advertising model on its head and create unique experiences for patients throughout their journey, before and after prescription. When she’s not working, Lina still finds ways to leave her positive mark on the industry–she is a member of our Collaboration Teams and a mentor in the Mentor Program. As her father always likes to say after each of her accomplishments, she gathers strength as she goes. How did you get to where you are today? I am from Italy, born and raised (I learned all my English from Tupac!). I moved to the US after graduating from University in Italy and enrolled in the only business school that would even entertain my nonexistent resume at the time. From there, I cold-called my way into every single job for the first half of my career, including showing up at the door of the Motion Picture Association in Los Angeles and convincing them to give me an internship. By the time I finished business school, I knew I wanted to do big advertising for Fortune 500 companies. I love living at the intersection of data, tech, and the power of creativity to inspire human behavior in different markets. Women often attribute much of their success to the support from the people they surround themselves with. How do you foster strong professional relationships as you grow in your career? I am a firm believer in freely giving good energy to people and being open and receptive to the energy that they give back. As a result, I don’t force connections or professional relationships. Some of the most fruitful connections and relationships have come to me because of genuinely connecting with individuals at a personal level in the industries I operate in. What’s one way you’ve invested in yourself that’s had the most impact over the course of your career? Moving to America from Italy (against my family’s will) opened opportunities that I would not have been granted in my country, so that was a big bet on myself. In general, over the course of my career I have invested in never silencing my curiosity and desire to learn. Moving to America from Italy was a big bet on myself. Looking back, I have always expanded my various roles beyond the constraints of a job description because I see so many opportunities beyond the work that I do. How do you view work-life integration, especially now? This year has been a great example of work-life integration as a constant adjustment and our definition of it varies based on the circumstances in our lives. I manage for energy and creativity instead of managing for time. I have also looked at the blend of personal life and work as a positive thing. I may take a call after hours or work on a presentation over the weekend, but it also means that if my daughters need me in the middle of the workday, I have the same flexibility to tend to their needs during work or that I can keep my work moving while making sure I am also very present in their lives. Can you recall a situation where you've dealt with typecasting in the workplace? And what advice do you have for other women on how to overcome typecasting at work? At my very first job in the U.S., I was reported to HR because my presence was apparently “distracting” and HR agreed saying “Italian women are out to seduce men.” When I got into a global leadership position and part of my job was to travel throughout several markets, my boss would repeatedly ask me to cook for him once we would get to Italy. I manage for energy and creativity instead of managing for time. My advice for other women is to first and foremost speak up early, when it doesn’t happen to you directly. I really believe our first responsibility (and potentially our first line of defense) is to take active steps to create an inclusive environment in the workplace for everyone. What’s one tip you can share or something you’ve learned on how to handle salary negotiations or raises? The key is to understand the value you bring and really spend some time to articulate it to yourself first in the most detailed and honest way, removing emotions. Then ASK. As for one tip: I have to put in a plug for Bozoma Saint John, who is a class act at this. Go listen to her Badass Workshop! There is a whole episode dedicated to how to ask for a raise and she is brilliant in her approach. Who has helped you in your journey and how did they help shape your career? I did not have any mentors for the first half of my career. A key executive took notice of my work and saw in me much more potential than I saw in myself at the time. He truly changed the direction of my career and gave me opportunities that I had only seen reserved to “boys club” until then. To this day, he is a trusted mentor and I still call on him to ask for advice in any career choice I make. He also showed me what servant leadership looks like in corporate America and I strive to be able to return the same opportunities to diverse talent. What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? At every professional accomplishment, my father still reminds me every time: “viresque acquirit eundo.” which in Latin means “and she gathers strength as she goes.” It is a reminder to have unshakable confidence in your abilities and your resilience and that you do not need to know everything in order to progress. Every experience is a learning, so there is no failure. You will gain strength as you go. What does success mean for you? I consider myself very fortunate and I have been granted opportunities in the USA that simply would not have been available or accessible to a woman in my country. For me, having achieved professional and personal success means absolutely nothing if I haven’t elevated other people with me in the process. That is by far my greatest source of fulfillment in life.