Akiko Amakawa | Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Akiko Amakawa is the corporate strategy officer & CEO chief of staff, where she oversees the Board of Directors & CEO Office, Corporate Strategy, and Corporate Governance Management for Takeda.

Since joining Takeda’s Corporate Business Development group in 2018, and most recently serving as the Global Business Development Head of Gastrointestinal & Inflammation, Neuroscience and Vaccines Corporate Development, she has led several strategic business development initiatives, including the acquisition of Nimbus Therapeutics’ TYK2 program (TAK-279), and partnering with Moderna, Novavax and the Government of Japan to supply critical Covid-19 vaccines to Japan during the height of the pandemic.

Akiko has more than 20 years of corporate development, business development, and corporate strategy experience across different countries and industries, primarily in the Pharmaceutical, Life Sciences, Technology and Automotive sectors in Japan, the U.S. and China. Prior to joining Takeda, she worked for Corning Incorporated, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Mitsubishi Corporation.

Akiko holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from University of Tokyo and a master’s degree in business administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.