Astellas Announces Change of President and CEO and Management Structure

Rhea-AI Summary

Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503) announced leadership changes, appointing Naoki Okamura as the new President and CEO, effective April 1, 2023. This transition is part of the company’s strategic plans, aiming to accelerate growth following a revenue recovery since fiscal year 2020. The change comes as Astellas shifts from a specific disease focus to a broader Focus Area approach in drug development. Other management changes include Claus Zieler as Chief Commercial Officer and Adam Pearson as Chief Strategy Officer. The company emphasizes the need for adaptable leadership amid increasing geopolitical risks.

Positive

• Revenue recovery since fiscal year 2020.
• Transition to a broader Focus Area approach in drug development.

Negative

• None.

TOKYO, Feb. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") today announced that at a meeting of its Board of Directors, held today, approved changes of its Representative Director, President and CEO and its management structure.

1．Change of President and CEO

Reason for Change

Astellas has been working on its Corporate Strategic Plan 2018 and Corporate Strategic Plan 2021 ("CSP2021") since fiscal year 2018, when Kenji Yasukawa was appointed as President and CEO, to realize its VISION "On the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients". During this time, Astellas overcame the patent cliff associated with the expiration of products exclusivity that had supported its growth in the past, and revenue has turned upward trend after bottoming out in fiscal year 2020. In addition, Astellas moved away from its past business model of creating products with a focus on specific disease areas and promoted a shift to the Focus Area approach of determining R&D areas from a multifaceted perspective, and is also making progress in developing new drug candidates that will drive future revenues.

Fiscal year 2023 is the right time to go on the aggressive to further accelerate growth, and Naoki Okamura will take over as new President and CEO. Astellas decided it is best for it to consider and implement strategies for achieving CSP2021, which ends in fiscal year 2025 and long-term growth beyond that under the new leadership. The environment surrounding the company is changing rapidly, such as increasing geopolitical risks and changes in the finances and markets of each country due to the COVID-19 crisis, but the new top management has the ability to flexible in response to such changes.

Changes of Representative Directors

Name	New Position	Current Position
Kenji Yasukawa	Representative Director, Chairman of the Board	Representative Director, President and CEO
Naoki Okamura	Representative Director, President and CEO	Representative Director, Executive Vice President

Effective date of change

 April 1, 2023

2. Top Management (Effective April 1, 2023)

Claus Zieler will be appointed as CCO. He joined Astellas Group in 2019 as   President, International Markets Commercial with experience in the commercial area at Schering and Bayer. He was appointed as President, Established Markets Commercial in January 2022. Together with Yukio Matsui, the current CCO, he has been implementing several imperative changes with his strong driving force and patient centric mindset.

Adam Pearson will be appointed as CStO. Since joining Astellas Group (former Yamanouchi Group) in 2004 after working at Boston Consulting Group, He has held various positions including Regional Senior Vice President, North Europe, Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. and General Manager, United Kingdom, Astellas Pharma Ltd., and since 2020 has been Division Head of Corporate Strategy, leading the development and promotion of CSP2021.

Name	New Title	Current Title
Naoki Okamura	Representative Director,             President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)	Representative Director, Corporate Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer (CStO)
Minoru Kikuoka	Chief Financial Officer (CFO)	Same as left
Yoshitsugu Shitaka	Chief Scientific Officer (CScO)	Same as left
Tadaaki Taniguchi	Chief Medical Officer (CMO)	Same as left
Hideki Shima	Chief Manufacturing Officer (CMfgO)	Same as left
Claus Zieler	Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)	President, Established Markets Commercial
Adam Pearson	Chief Strategy Officer (CStO)	Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy
Katsuyoshi Sugita	Chief People Officer and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer (CPO & CECO)	Same as left
Catherine Levitt	General Counsel (GC)	Same as left

^＊Yukio Matsui, the current CCO, will retire on March 31, 2023.

3. Change of Corporate Executive (Tantou-Yakuin) (Effective April 1, 2023)

Name	New Position	Current Position
Minoru Kikuoka	Corporate Executive Vice President （Fukusyacho Tantou-Yakuin ）	Senior Corporate Executive （Senmu Tantou-Yakuin ）

^＊Yukio Matsui, the current Senior Corporate Executive (Senmu Tantou-Yakuin), will retire on March 31, 2023.

About Astellas

Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are promoting the Focus Area Approach that is designed to identify opportunities for the continuous creation of new drugs to address diseases with high unmet medical needs by focusing on Biology and Modality. Furthermore, we are also looking beyond our foundational Rx focus to create Rx+^® healthcare solutions that combine our expertise and knowledge with cutting-edge technology in different fields of external partners. Through these efforts, Astellas stands on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients. For more information, please visit our website at https://www.astellas.com/en.

Cautionary Notes

In this press release, statements made with respect to current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Astellas. These statements are based on management's current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in general economic conditions and in laws and regulations, relating to pharmaceutical markets, (ii) currency exchange rate fluctuations, (iii) delays in new product launches, (iv) the inability of Astellas to market existing and new products effectively, (v) the inability of Astellas to continue to effectively research and develop products accepted by customers in highly competitive markets, and (vi) infringements of Astellas' intellectual property rights by third parties.

Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice.

(Reference)

• Curriculum Vitae of new Representative Director, Chairman of the Board

Name:	Kenji Yasukawa
Date of Birth:	June 7, 1960
Place of Birth:	Tokyo
-  Career History
April 2018	Representative Director, President and CEO, the Company (present post)
June 2017	Representative Director, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Commercial Officer, the Company
April 2017	Senior Corporate Executive, Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Commercial Officer, the Company
June 2012	Senior Corporate Executive, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, the Company
April 2012	Corporate Executive, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, the Company
April 2011	Corporate Executive, Vice President, Product & Portfolio Strategy, the Company
October 2010	Corporate Executive of the Company, Therapeutic Area Head, Urology, Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc.
June 2010	Corporate Executive of the Company, Therapeutic Area Head, Urology, Astellas Pharma Europe B.V.
April 2005	Vice President, Project Management, Urology, the Company
April 1986	Joined the Company (former Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.)
-  Education
July 2001	Showa University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan, Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences
March 1986	University of Tokyo, Master of Science, Agriculture

• Curriculum Vitae of new Representative Director, President and CEO

Name:	Naoki Okamura
Date of Birth:	September 18, 1962
Place of Birth:	Shizuoka Prefecture
-  Career History:
April 2022	Representative Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer (CStO), the Company (present post)
March 2022	Representative Director, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Business Officer (CStO and CBO), the Company
September 2021	Representative Director, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer (CStO & CFO, and CBO), the Company
October 2019	Representative Director, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Financial Officer, (CStO & CFO), the Company
June 2019	Representative Director, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer (CStO), the Company
April 2019	Corporate Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer (CStO), the Company
April 2018	Corporate Executive, Chief Strategy Officer (CStO), the Company
June 2016	Corporate Executive, Vice President, Corporate Planning, the Company
April 2016	Vice President, Corporate Planning, the Company
July 2014	Vice President, Licensing & Alliances, the Company
April 2012	Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd.
October 2010	President & CEO, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
April 1986	Joined the Company
-  Education
March 1985	University of Tokyo, Faculty of Pharmacy

• Curriculum Vitae of new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)

Name:	Claus Zieler
-  Career History:
January 2022	President, Established Markets Commercial, Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. (Present post)
October 2019	President, International Markets Commercial, Astellas Pharma Singapore Pte Ltd.
June 2015	Senior Vice President, Pharmaceuticals Region Asia Pacific, Bayer (South East Asia) Pte Ltd.
October 2011	Operating Officer and Head of BU Cardiovascular & Neurology, Bayer Yakuhin Ltd.
March 2007	General Manager HealthCare Belgium / Luxemburg, Bayer SA-NV
Marsh 2005	General Manager Argentina, Schering Argentina
May 2003	Vice President Business Development, Schering Berlin, Inc.
May 1995	Regional Product Manager for Latin America, Schering AG

• Curriculum Vitae of new Chief Strategy Officer (CStO)

Name:	Adam Pearson
-  Career History:
April 2022	Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy. Astellas Pharma Inc. (Present post)
April 2020	Senior Vice President, Corporate Planning, Astellas Pharma Inc.
April 2019	General Manager, United Kingdom, Astellas Pharma Ltd.
July 2016	Regional Senior Vice President, North Europe, Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd.
February 2011	General Manager, South East Europe, Astellas Pharma d.o.o.
January 2007	Sales Director Netherlands, Astellas Pharma Netherlands, BV.
January 2004	Director of Strategic Planning, Europe, Yamanouchi Europe Ltd.
September 1994	Consultant & Project Leader, Boston Consulting Group

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SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc.

FAQ

What recent management changes did Astellas Pharma announce?

Astellas Pharma announced Naoki Okamura as the new President and CEO, effective April 1, 2023.

When will the new CEO of Astellas Pharma take office?

Naoki Okamura will take office as President and CEO on April 1, 2023.

What is Astellas Pharma's current strategic focus?

Astellas Pharma is shifting to a broader Focus Area approach in drug development.

What is the significance of the leadership change for Astellas Pharma's growth?

The leadership change aims to accelerate growth and address increasing geopolitical risks.

Who will be the new Chief Commercial Officer at Astellas Pharma?

Claus Zieler has been appointed as the new Chief Commercial Officer.