Christophe Weber
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christophe Weber 1966/01/01 (age 60) 🇫🇷 Strasbourg, France |
| Nationality | 🇫🇷 French |
| Residence | 🇯🇵 Tokyo / 🇺🇸 Boston |
| Languages | French, English, Japanese |
| Education | University of Lyon (PharmD, Pharmacokinetics, MBA, MS) |
| Career details | |
| Occupation | President and CEO of Takeda Pharmaceutical |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Employer | Takeda Pharmaceutical |
| Title | President, CEO, and Representative Director |
| Term | 2015–present |
| Predecessor | Yasuchika Hasegawa |
| Net worth | US$50+ million (est.) |
| Website | takeda.com |
Christophe Weber (born 1966) is a French business executive serving as president, chief executive officer, and representative director of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company since 2015. He is the first non-Japanese CEO of Takeda, Japan's largest and oldest pharmaceutical company (founded 1781), marking a historic break with tradition in Japanese corporate culture.
Weber spent 20 years at GlaxoSmithKline before joining Takeda, leading its $62 billion acquisition of Shire in 2019—one of the largest pharmaceutical deals ever. His tenure has focused on transforming Takeda from a Japan-centric company into a global biopharmaceutical leader while respecting Japanese traditions and corporate culture.
Early life and education
Born in Strasbourg, France in 1966, Weber holds a doctorate in pharmacy and pharmacokinetics, master's degrees in pharmaceutical marketing and accounting/finance, and a degree in statistics—all from the University of Lyon, France.
Career
GlaxoSmithKline (1991-2014)
Weber joined GSK in 1991 as a product manager in Australia, spending 20 years in roles of increasing responsibility across Europe, Asia, and the United States. He served as chairman and CEO of GSK France (2003-2008) and later headed GSK's global vaccines business before leaving in 2014.
Takeda Pharmaceutical (2014-present)
Weber joined Takeda in April 2014 as chief operating officer, was named president and representative director in June 2014, and became CEO in April 2015—the first non-Japanese CEO in Takeda's 234-year history.
His leadership has focused on:
- Globalizing operations while respecting Japanese culture
- Major acquisitions including Shire ($62B, 2019)
- R&D focus on oncology, gastroenterology, neuroscience, and rare diseases
- Divesting non-core assets
- Navigating cultural integration challenges
Leadership style
Known for respecting Japanese business culture while bringing Western pharmaceutical industry practices. Fluent in Japanese and committed to understanding cultural nuances.
Personal life
Lives in Tokyo and Boston with his wife and two children, splitting time between Japan (headquarters) and the United States (major operations).