Takeda Ventures

Akiko Amakawa is CEO chief of staff at Takeda, where she previously served as corporate strategy officer overseeing corporate strategy, the CEO office, Board operations, and corporate governance. Since joining Takeda in 2018, she has worked on corporate development and external innovation, and earlier led Global Business Development across Gastrointestinal & Inflammation, Neuroscience, and Vaccines. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Tokyo.

Asuka Miyabashira is president of Takeda's Japan Pharma Business Unit, having joined the company in 2004 and held marketing and medical roles in Japan and abroad. Her prior positions include country manager at Takeda Vietnam, business operation manager at Takeda Indonesia, and head of the Neuroscience Business Unit within JPBU. She holds an MSc in Agriculture from Kyushu University, Japan.

Awny Farajallah, M.D., is chief medical officer for Takeda, which he joined in July 2021 as head of Global Medical Affairs Oncology. He previously held medical affairs leadership roles at Ipsen (SVP, Medical Affairs, North America) and Bristol Myers Squibb (VP and head of U.S. Medical Affairs), with clinical development and medical affairs experience across oncology, hematology, immunoscience, cardiovascular, neurology and HIV. He earned his M.D. from Cairo University and completed an internal medicine residency and infectious diseases fellowship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and New Jersey Medical School.

Elaine Shannon is president of Global Supply & Quality at Takeda, overseeing internal and external manufacturing, supply chain, and quality across the company's manufacturing network. She previously served as Takeda's global quality officer (2023–2026) and held roles including head of the Massachusetts Biologics Operations site and global head of quality oncology and external supply. Her career spans about 25 years in quality, compliance, quality assurance, and R&D, including work at Teva Pharmaceuticals and Pinewood Healthcare.

Gabriele Ricci is Takeda's Chief Data & Technology Officer, appointed in February 2022 to lead the company's Data, Digital and Technology division. He joined Takeda in 2019 as head of Plasma-Derived Therapies IT, and previously held roles at Shire in digital health and technical operations IT, as well as leadership positions at Novartis, Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb. He holds an MBA from the MIB Trieste School of Management and an engineering degree from the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

Giles Platford is president of Takeda's International Business Unit, overseeing markets outside the U.S. He joined Takeda in 2009 as general manager of Brazil and held subsequent roles including area head for Middle East, Turkey & Africa, president of Emerging Markets, president of Europe & Canada, and president of the Plasma-Derived Therapies Business Unit. Before Takeda he spent eight years in Asia Pacific in business development, commercial, and general management roles, and holds a business and marketing management degree from Oxford Brookes University.

Jennifer Smoter is Takeda's Chief Communications & Governance Officer, overseeing global communications, brand leadership, corporate governance, sustainability, and CEO chief of staff responsibilities. She joined Takeda in 2026 after serving as chief communications officer at UnitedHealth Group and chief external affairs officer at Intellia Therapeutics, along with earlier senior communications and brand roles at AbbVie and Abbott Laboratories. She holds a bachelor's degree from Alverno College.

Lauren Duprey is Takeda's chief transformation officer, overseeing transformation across the company including AI initiatives. She joined Takeda in 2019 and previously served as its chief human resources officer and head of HR for the U.S. Business Unit, and earlier held HR roles at Biogen and General Electric, starting her career in management consulting at Clarion Healthcare. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Harvard University and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Marcello Agosti serves as interim head of strategy and portfolio development at Takeda, overseeing business development including M&A and corporate development. He led Takeda's acquisition of Shire and other strategic transactions, and previously held business development roles at Novartis in the U.K. and Switzerland and worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company. He holds an MBA from the University of Oxford and a business administration degree from Bocconi University in Milan.

Milano Furuta is the chief financial officer of Takeda and a member of its Board of Directors. He joined Takeda in 2010, holding roles in corporate strategy, corporate development, and post-merger integration in Japan and Switzerland, and later managed the Diabetes Business Unit in Mexico, served as general manager in Sweden, and led Takeda's Japan Pharma Business Unit as president. Before Takeda, he was an equity research analyst at a U.S. investment management firm and began his career in banking and private equity in Japan; he holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a bachelor's degree from Hitotsubashi University.

Natalie Furney is Global General Counsel for Takeda, having joined the company in April 2025. She previously spent 14 years at Eli Lilly and Company, most recently as senior vice president and deputy general counsel supporting the International Business Unit and Regulatory leadership teams. She holds a Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law and a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science from Indiana University - Bloomington, and is admitted to the Indiana Bar.

Nicola Greenway is Chief Human Resources Officer of Takeda, overseeing the company's global people function. She joined Takeda in 2012 and previously held HR leadership roles across the Global Portfolio Division, Global Manufacturing Supply and Quality, and the Middle East, Turkey and Africa region, and earlier worked at KPMG and HSBC. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in science, a Master of Arts in business and management, a master's in employment law from the University of Surrey, and an executive MBA from ENPC Paris and the University of Edinburgh.

Ramy Riad is president of Takeda's Plasma-Derived Therapies (PDT) Business Unit, with over 20 years of experience in biopharmaceuticals across strategy, finance, operations, and market access. He previously served as SVP and CFO for Finance, Strategy, and Operations within the PDT unit and led international commercial finance across multiple regions at Takeda, following earlier leadership roles at Abbott, Merck, and Sanofi Aventis. He holds an MBA in Finance from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Cairo University.

Rhonda Pacheco is President of Takeda's U.S. Business Unit and U.S. Country Head and a member of Takeda's Executive Team, overseeing a portfolio that includes gastroenterology, neuroscience, plasma-derived therapies and rare diseases. She previously worked at Eli Lilly as Group Vice President of U.S. Cardiometabolic Health, where she managed product launches including Lilly's GLP-1 portfolio. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island and an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

Teresa Bitetti is President of Takeda's Global Oncology Business Unit and a member of its Executive Team, overseeing therapies for gastrointestinal, thoracic, and hematological cancers across the US, Europe, and Japan. Before Takeda, she held senior oncology commercialization roles at Bristol Myers Squibb, including Head of Worldwide Oncology Commercialization and President and General Manager of BMS Canada, and earlier worked in the Capital Markets Group at Mobil Oil Corporation. She holds an MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and a BA from Wellesley College.