Julie Kim is set to replace Christophe Weber as the new CEO of Takeda Pharmaceutical, becoming the first woman to lead the more than 240-year-old Japanese drugmaker.
Kim, 54, has been running Takeda¡¯s U.S. operations since 2022 and will assume the role of CEO in June next year, subject to shareholder approval, the company said in a statement Wednesday.
The appointment comes as Takeda sees a competitive growth outlook with new product launches from the second half of 2026, Weber said in a statement. ¡°Now is the right time,¡± he said, referring to the leadership change.
Kim, a U.S. citizen, joined Takeda six years ago. Prior to running the U.S. operations, she was the company¡¯s head of plasma-derived therapies.
Weber became the drugmaker¡¯s first non-Japanese CEO when he was promoted to the position in 2015. He expanded Takeda¡¯s global network and transformed the drugmaker into a biotechnology powerhouse specializing in gastroenterlogy, cancer, neurology, vaccines and rare diseases. Under Weber¡¯s leadership, Takeda bought U.K. drugmaker Shire PLC for $62 billion in 2019.
Takeda¡¯s operating income jumped 86% to ?417.5 billion ($2.7 billion) for the nine months ending in December, driven by stronger demand for its products, the sale of a business unit and the weak yen, the company said in a separate statement Wednesday. Revenue rose 9.8% to ?3.6 trillion.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.