Takeda taps Julie Kim as next CEO, 1st Korean American to lead global pharma company

Takeda Pharmaceutical has appointed Julie Kim, the current president of its U.S. business unit, as its next chief executive officer, making her the first Korean American to lead a multinational pharmaceutical company.

Kim will succeed Christophe Weber, 59, who has served as CEO since 2015. Weber, who joined Takeda in 2014 after two decades at GSK, will step down in June after a 12-year tenure. Under his leadership, Takeda nearly doubled its revenue, growing from $15.2 billion in 2015 to $29.8 billion in the 2024 fiscal year.

Kim, 54, will undergo an 18-month transition period and officially assume the role in June 2026. Takeda described her as an “experienced and value-driven leader” who has played a key role in the company’s growth. Before leading Takeda’s U.S. business in April 2022, she headed its plasma-derived therapies division.

Kim joined Takeda in 2019 after its $62 billion acquisition of Shire. Born in Korea, she spent part of her childhood in Seoul before moving to Cleveland, Ohio. 

Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She began her career as a consultant before entering the pharmaceutical industry in 2001 with Baxter International.

Since 2023, Kim has been a member of the Council of Korean Americans, an organization dedicated to advancing the influence of Korean Americans in the U.S.