OSAKA, Japan-Friday 1 April 2022 [ AETOS Wire ]
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Takeda (TOKYO:4502/NYSE:TAK) today announced that its Board of Directors will propose two new candidates for independent external directors at the 146th Ordinary Meeting of Shareholders on June 29, 2022. The new candidates, Kimberly A. Reed and John Maraganore, who – if approved – will join the Board effective June 29, will succeed Toshiyuki Shiga and Shiro Kuniya who have announced their intention to retire. In addition, Masami Iijima, if approved by the shareholders, will be appointed as the new chair of the Board Meetings, succeeding Masahiro Sakane, who will also retire. All other current Board members will be proposed for re-election.
“I would like to thank Masahiro for his work as chair of the Board Meetings. Takeda’s transformation and current success was greatly impacted by his leadership. I am confident that Masami, if approved as member of the Board, will chair our Board meeting very effectively,” said Christophe Weber, representative director, president and chief executive officer of Takeda. “I also want to thank Toshiyuki and Shiro for their valuable contributions to Takeda. I am looking forward to having Kimberly Reed and John Maraganore join our Board.”
Masahiro Sakane, Chair of the Nomination Committee, commented, “Takeda is striving to develop its governance even further. We want to continue advancing the diversity of the Board, both in gender and nationalities, while ensuring good representation of our Japanese and international stakeholders without expanding the Board further.”
Kimberly A. Reed most recently served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, President, and CEO of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), the nation’s official $135 billion export credit agency, where she worked to help companies succeed in the competitive global marketplace. She previously served as President of the International Food Information Council Foundation where she focused on agriculture, nutrition and health issues; Senior Advisor to U.S. Treasury Secretaries Henry Paulson and John Snow; CEO of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund; and Counsel to three committees with the U.S. Congress where she conducted oversight and investigations. Ms. Reed currently serves on the Board of Directors of Momentus (NASDAQ: MNTS) and is a Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Competitiveness. Recognized as one of the 100 Women Leaders in STEM, Ms. Reed has served on numerous non-profit boards, including the Alzheimer’s Association, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington Dean’s Alliance. She holds a J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law and a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Government from West Virginia Wesleyan College, and is a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Certified Director.
Ms. Reed commented, “I am honored to be a candidate to join Takeda’s Board of Directors at this significant moment in the company’s proud history. I have deep respect for Takeda’s strong leadership in biopharmaceutical science, values-led growth and sustainability. I welcome the opportunity to help deliver on Takeda’s promise of better health and life-changing treatments for people all around the world.”
John Maraganore, Ph.D., is a pioneering executive with more than three decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He served as the chief executive officer and director of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals for nearly 20 years and retired at the end of 2021. From June 2017 to May 2019, he was the chair of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). Prior to Alnylam, Dr. Maraganore served as an officer and member of the management team of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Before Millennium, he served as director of molecular biology and director of market and business development at Biogen, Inc. At Biogen, he invented and led the discovery and development of bivalirudin for injection. Dr. Maraganore has Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Chicago.
Dr. Maraganore commented, “I admire Takeda’s transformation journey into a top-tier global pharmaceutical company and, if approved, I look forward to working alongside the rest of the Board to support the company’s mission to deliver breakthrough medicines through its leading science and commercial capabilities.”