Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of significant leadership hirings, firings and retirings across the industry. Please send the good word—or the bad—from your shop to Darren Incorvaia or Zoey Becker and it will be featured here at the end of each week.
Takeda taps Kim as new CEO
Takeda
After leading Japan’s largest drugmaker for 11 years, Takeda CEO Christophe Weber plans to step down in June of 2026. He will be replaced by Julie Kim, who came to Takeda in 2019 with the company’s $62 billion acquisition of Shire. Since April 2022, she has been the president of Takeda’s U.S. operations, and before that she headed up the company’s plasma-derived therapies business. Kim’s promotion is part of a “multi-year succession process,” the company said. Story
Kailera goes commercial with Lilly vet
Kailera Therapeutics
As it moves its GLP-1/GIP receptor dual agonist toward phase 3 trials, Kailera is prepping for commercialization by bringing in Big Pharma vet Jamie Coleman as chief commercial officer. Coleman comes from Eli Lilly, where she was most recently vice president and U.S. brand leader for blockbuster weight loss drug Zepbound. After earlier stints at Pfizer and ZS Associates, Coleman spent 17 years at Lilly overseeing commercial products in obesity, diabetes and oncology. Release
Roche adds technology officer to executive team
Roche
Roche added a new position to its lineup of executive officers with a chief digital technology officer in Wafaa Mimilli. Mimilli previously held the same position at Zoetis after a more than 20-year career in various positions at Eli Lilly. She will be based at Roche’s Genentech campus in San Francisco and will take over half of chief financial officer and chief informatics officer Alan Hippe’s dual roles, allowing him to focus solely on his CFO position. The move falls in line with Roche’s hopes to “transform” its business with digital solutions and artificial intelligence, the company said in a release. Release
> Neurocrine Biosciences brought on Eli Lilly vet Andrew Ratz, Ph.D., to head up chemistry, manufacturing and controls as senior vice president of drug development, delivery and device. Release
> Janux Therapeutics’ Zachariah McIver, Ph.D., was promoted to chief medical officer after two years in the vice president position. Release
> T-cell-focused Swarm Oncology emerged from stealth mode with experienced executive Martin Olin at the helm as CEO. Release
> Averna Therapeutics, formerly known as Exsilio Therapeutics, has a new name and a new CEO, Thomas Barnes, Ph.D., who replaces interim CEO Tal Zaks, M.D., Ph.D. Release
> Michael Ringel, Ph.D., will take on the chief operating officer role at cellular rejuvenation drugmaker Life Biosciences. Release
> Luke Walker, M.D., joined Umoja Biopharma as chief medical officer to guide the company through its two clinical-stage programs. Release
> Lyndra Therapeutics tapped Adam Sayer as its new CEO, replacing outgoing CEO and longtime Lyndra employee Jessica Ballinger. Release
> Immune-focused Alumis is boosting its leadership team with the addition of Amgen vet Jack Danilkowicz as chief commercial officer and the promotion of Sara Klein as chief legal officer, taking over from Roy Hardiman, who will now serve as chief business and strategy officer. Release
> Precision BioSciences is advancing its in vivo gene editing program with the help of new chief development and business officer Cindy Atwell and promoted chief scientific officer Cassie Gorsuch, Ph.D. Release
> Scholar Rock is shaking up its C-suite by appointing Lisa Wyman to the newly created role of chief technical and quality officer while eliminating the COO role; current COO and CFO Ted Myles will transition to a temporary senior advisor role and a search will be conducted for a new CFO. Release