INDIANAPOLIS — Eli Lilly and Co. is promoting a trio of senior executives with the announcement that longtime company Bryce Carmine and Frank Deane plan to retire.

The pharmaceutical company said this week that Carmine and Deane are slated to retire as of Dec. 31. Carmine, whose Lilly career spans 36 years, has led Lilly Bio-Medicines since its creation in 2009. And Deane, whose career at Lilly covers 33 years, has led global manufacturing operations since 2007.

With their retirement, Lilly is making several promotions, all effective Jan. 1:

• Dave Ricks, president of Lilly USA, is being promoted to succeed Carmine as senior vice president and president of Lilly Bio-Medicines. Ricks formerly was general manager of Lilly affiliates in China and Canada. Ricks’ responsibilities will include the United States, Japan and Europe.

• Maria Crowe, senior vice president for global drug product manufacturing, is being promoted to succeed Deane as president of manufacturing operations. She formerly was general manager of manufacturing sites in Ireland and Puerto Rico. As head of manufacturing operations, she will lead a network of 22 sites in 13 countries and will have responsibility for Lilly’s global contract-manufacturing organization.

• And with Ricks’ promotion, Alex Azar is being promoted to president of Lilly USA, the company’s largest affiliate. Azar has been vice president of U.S. managed health care services and Puerto Rico since 2009.

Carmine and Deane were described as "pillars of the company" by Lilly chairman and chief executive officer John Lechleiter.

"We’ll certainly miss Bryce and Frank and the extraordinary leadership they provided," Lechleiter stated. "At the same time, we’re very fortunate to have talented leaders who are well-prepared and ready to step into these critical roles."