Global pharmaceutical giant Takeda Group has appointed Julie Kim, the current head of its U.S. subsidiary, as the next chief executive officer (CEO) of the group.
Takeda is the largest corporation in Asia and ranks 13th globally by revenue in 2023. Julie Kim, the incoming CEO, is the first female CEO since Takeda Pharmaceutical's founding in 1781, and as a Korean-American born in Seoul, her appointment has drawn considerable attention within the domestic pharmaceutical industry.
Takeda announced that it unanimously approved the appointment of Julie Kim as group CEO during a board meeting held on the 30th of last month.
Christopher Weber, the current CEO leading Takeda Group, will retire in June next year after completing a 12-year term. He plans to conduct a transfer of the position to Julie Kim over the next 18 months.
Takeda introduced CEO Julie Kim as "an outstanding leader who has made significant contributions to the company's growth, especially having previously led the U.S. business and plasma-derived therapeutics division, and as an experienced and value-driven leader."
Julie Kim joined Takeda in 2019 when the company acquired the rare disease-focused pharmaceutical company Shire for $62 billion, and she has been serving as president of Takeda's U.S. business unit since April 2022. Prior to that, she held positions as global value access head and global franchise head in hematology at Shire from 2016 to 2019.
According to the Korea Bio Association, Julie Kim was born in Seoul and moved to Cleveland, U.S., during her childhood. After majoring in economics at Dartmouth College in 1988, she earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She entered the pharmaceutical industry in the early 2000s, starting with Baxter. Since 2023, she has been active as a member of the Council of Korean, an organization aimed at amplifying the voices and influence of the Korean community in the U.S.
Julie Kim stated on the social media platform LINKED, "Numerous Phase 3 clinical trial results are expected to be released this year, and we should prepare with the goal of launching in the second half of 2026," adding, "There will not be immediate changes at the U.S. subsidiary, and we will continue to focus on servicing existing patients and stakeholders while showcasing innovative pipelines to new patients in the United States."