Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited has announced plans to redesign its global organizational structure to clearly define accountability and ownership, simplify its organization, and allow the company to operate more efficiently and competitively.

The company’s new organizational structure will redefine all regional commercial divisions into five regional business units and two specialty business units. The five newly established regional business units will be Japan Pharma, Emerging Markets, United States, Europe-Canada (EUCAN), and Japan Consumer Healthcare, and the two newly established specialty business units will be Oncology and Vaccines. Additionally, the R&D organization will be realigned into four therapeutic area units (TEAs), namely central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular and metabolic (CVM), gastroenterology (GI), and oncology.

Each regional business unit will promote business within their responsible countries and regions, strengthen essential functions, and  establish business operations with a high degree of specialization that allows them to realize patient and customer centricity. Some key changes are: the Japan Pharma Business Unit will be established by augmenting the current Pharmaceutical Marketing Division in Japan with strengthened, essential functions, and the current North Asia commercial organization and Emerging Markets organization will be integrated to form the Emerging Markets Business Unit, headquartered in Singapore.

With respect to the specialty business units,Takeda says that these will further improve the company’s ability to respond to patients’ and physicians’ unique needs. With respect to the TAUs, current research in the immunology area will be integrated into the CNS TAU, and current research in the respiratory area will be integrated into the CVM TAU. The company’s Global Medical Office and Global Development Operations will support the four TAUs.

The details and particulars of the transition plans are currently under consideration and will be further refined. However, it is planned that the changes announced will be fully implemented by April 1^st.  Further, all plans that may affect employees are provisional and subject to appropriate information and consultations processes with affected employees and their representatives to the extent required under applicable laws, as well as the subsequent final decision of the employing entity.

Additionally, Takeda has named a new senior leadership team with its new global organizational structure, effective October 1, 2014. As part of these changes, Anna Protopapas will step down as president of Millennium and head of global licensing and business development and leave Takeda effective October 1, 2014. The company also has made the following appointments, effective October 1, 2014: Shinji Honda as corporate strategy officer (CSO); Francois-Xavier Roger as chief financial officer (CFO); David Osborne as global human resources officer (GHRO); Yoshihiro Nakagawa as global general counsel (GGC); Haruhiko Hirate as corporate communications and public affairs officer (CCPAO); Christophe Bianchi as president of the Global Oncology Business Unit; Rajeev Venkayya, as president of the Global Vaccine Business Unit; Masato Iwasaki, president, Japan Pharma Business Unit; Trevor Smith as
President of the EUCAN Business Unit; Douglas Cole as president of the US Business Unit; Giles Platford, president of the Emerging Markets Business Unit; Tadataka Yamada as chief medical and scientific officer; Thomas Wozniewski as global manufacturing and supply officer (GMSO); and Gerard Greco, global quality officer

In making these appointments, three positions are newly established:CSO, CCPAO, and GGC. The CSO will be accountable for the Corporate Strategy Department, Global Business Development, the Japan Consumer Healthcare Business Unit, and Global Commercial. The GGC will be accountable for the Legal Department, Intellectual Property Department, and Global Compliance. The CCPAO will be accountable for Corporate Communications Department, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Government Affairs. The Business Partners, CSO, CFO, GHRO, GGC ,and CCPAO will define the roles and accountabilities at the country, regional, and global levels of the organizations for which they are responsible.

Source: Takeda