Takeda Picks First Woman as CEO of Centuries-Old Drugmaker (1)

Julie Kim is set to replace Christophe Weber as the new chief executive officer of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., becoming the first woman to lead the more than 240-year-old Japanese drugmaker.

Kim, 54, has been running Takeda’s US 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.

Julie Kim

Source: Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.

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 ...