OSAKA, Japan & CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (TOKYO:4502/NYSE:TAK) announced today that Julie Kim was appointed as Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, completing an 18-month transition process.
During the company’s 150th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held in Osaka, shareholders elected Kim as a new internal director to the Board of Directors. The Board subsequently appointed her to the top executive position. Former president and CEO Christophe Weber retired from the company and the Board following the conclusion of the meeting.
Kim joined Takeda in 2019 through the acquisition of Shire and has held several executive-level roles, including president of the Plasma-Derived Therapies Business Unit and president of the U.S. Business Unit before becoming CEO-elect in 2025. She brings more than three decades of global healthcare experience to the position.Kim takes the helm of a company with a market capitalization of $49.6 billion that has maintained dividend payments for 35 consecutive years, currently offering a 4% yield. InvestingPro data shows Takeda’s stock has delivered a 19.5% return over the past year, though the platform’s Fair Value analysis suggests shares are currently trading above their intrinsic value.
Shareholders also elected three new external directors to the Board: Bruce Broussard, Koichiro Kimura and Dr. Paul Stoffels. Broussard brings leadership experience with large global companies and expertise in the U.S. healthcare system. Kimura, former Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Japan, has experience in geopolitical risk and corporate governance across Asia-Pacific. Stoffels previously served as Chief Science Officer at Johnson & Johnson and CEO of biotechnology company Galapagos.
The Board of Directors now consists of 11 members, with eight serving as external directors. Masami Iijima continues as External Director and Chair of the Board Meeting. Milano Furuta remains as Director and Chief Financial Officer, while Andrew Plump continues as Director and President of Research & Development.
Kimura was appointed as Head of the Audit and Supervisory Committee, with Broussard and Kimberly A. Reed serving as committee members. The information is based on a company press release statement.
In other recent news, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced positive results from a Phase 3 study involving its investigational drug zasocitinib. The study compared zasocitinib to deucravacitinib in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The LATITUDE Atlas study, which included 606 participants, revealed that zasocitinib achieved statistical superiority over deucravacitinib for the primary endpoint. Participants who received zasocitinib experienced complete skin clearance at week 16. These findings highlight recent developments in Takeda’s research efforts. The trial results could have implications for the treatment options available for plaque psoriasis. The company has not yet announced any plans for further studies or regulatory submissions following these findings.
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