Weber Christophe
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in France in 1966, he earned a doctorate in pharmacy and pharmacokinetics from the University of Lyon and worked at GlaxoSmithKline for about 20 years. He joined Takeda as COO in April 2014, becoming President in June of that year and CEO in April 2015. The seven Presidents before him were all Japanese, drawn from the Takeda family, former Ministry of Health and Welfare officials and career employees. Asked how long he would serve, he replied, "Ten years, max."
Selection
In June 2014 he became President, succeeding Yasuchika Hasegawa. Hasegawa had brought in a foreigner from a major foreign drugmaker to head the research division, and had also entrusted four of the five unit heads for the priority therapeutic areas to outside foreigners. Despite investing about ¥2.4 trillion in R&D over the nine and a half years from the fiscal year ended March 2004 to the interim period ended September 2012, the company produced no blockbuster to rival Actos. In FY ended March 2014, the year before he took office, net income fell to ¥90.3 billion on consolidated revenue of ¥1,691.9 billion.
Initiatives
In February 2017 the company acquired Ariad Pharmaceuticals of the US through a tender offer, and in December 2018 it listed American depositary receipts on the New York Stock Exchange. In January 2019 it acquired Shire of Ireland. Interest-bearing debt swelled from ¥985.7 billion at the end of the fiscal year ended March 2018 to ¥5,751.0 billion at the end of FY ended March 2019, and goodwill reached ¥4,240.3 billion. To reduce debt, in March 2021 it handed businesses including the over-the-counter drug Alinamin to Blackstone at an enterprise value of ¥242.0 billion.
Career
Career
Gurakuso Sumisukurain
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| May 2008 | アジア太平洋地域担当上級副社長 (translation pending) |
| Apr 2012 | President and CEO, GSK Wakuchin |
Takeda Pharmaceutical
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 2014 | COO |
| Jun 2014 | Representative Director, President |
| Apr 2015 | CEO |
| Jun 2026 | Stepped down as President, CEO |