The inauguration in June of Christophe Weber as president of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. invited opposition from a group of its former executives and members of its founding family, but the Frenchman says Takeda will remain "Japanese-based" under his leadership.
"I think there is sometimes this fear that, because I'm a foreigner, (Takeda may) lose its roots in Japan. Not at all," the 47-year-old Weber said in a recent interview with The Japan Times. "We'll remain a Japanese-based company."
A globalizing Japanese company seeking to enlist the management expertise of foreign nationals is no longer uncommon, especially after Nissan Motor Co. CEO Carlos Ghosn led the major automaker out of a slump.