Eli Lilly Korea said Monday that it has appointed Christopher J. Stokes, general manager at Eli Lilly South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa, as its new general manager.

The current general manager, Alberto Riva, has been appointed as the head of Eli Lilly Brazil.

Stokes, who first joined Eli Lilly's U.S. headquarters in 2008 as a public policy analyst, has proven excellent performance and positive influence through his involvement in corporate affairs, government strategy, pricing, reimbursement, and access strategic planning, new product planning, brand payer marketing, and sales management, the company said.

Notably, the company stressed that Stokes built his leadership skills by serving as neurosciences director of sales for the U.S. West and Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Eli Lilly headquarters.

"As the newly appointed representative of Eli Lilly Korea, I will take great responsibility and help more Korean patients lead a better life through Lilly's innovative medicines," Stokes said. "We will also do our best to deliver a positive influence to Korean society."

Stokes graduated from George Mason University in 2002 and obtained a master's degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Indiana University Bloomington in 2005.