Takeda Takes New Step Toward A Global Pharmaceutical Strategy

In a historic step to further its strategic goal of transforming itself into a company that can compete in the global marketplace, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has named a French executive as its new Chief Operating Officer and candidate for its next president. This is a rare example of an over-seas search for a top executive by a major Japanese company

Christophe Weber, a senior executive at GlaxoSmithKline, will assume his position of COO by April, 2014, and is expected to be approved as the company’s president at the general shareholders meeting in June.  Weber has held positions of increasing responsibility at leadership at GSK, and had had a significant impact on the company’s improved financial position.  He is currently President & General Manager at GSK Vaccines, CEO of GSK Biologicals SA in Belgium and member of the GSK global Corporate Executive Team. From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Weber served as Asia Pacific SVP and Regional Director at GSK Asia Pacific in Singapore.  "We have extremely high expectations for Mr. Weber's contributions to further enhance and accelerate the implementation of Takeda's global strategy based on his extraordinary and broad business experiences including an impressive track record in top global pharmaceutical companies," said Yasuchika Hasegawa, President & CEO of Takeda.

The appointment of the first non-Japanese president in the company’s 230-year history is a major step in Takeda’s primary strategic management goal for the coming years to transform Takeda into a company that is competitive on a global basis in every aspect of its business and organization. By fully leveraging the sales organizations now operating in more than 70 countries through the acquisition of Nycomed, Takeda is now moving its business activities forward in order to deliver sustainable growth appropriate as a leading global pharmaceutical company.

Source:  Japan Times