Milano Furata Succeeds Costa Saroukos as CFO of Takeda

Costa Saroukos, chief financial officer of Takeda, has decided to leave the company to return to his home-country of Australia to be closer to family. Saroukos will step down as CFO, effective April 1, 2024 and will remain with the company as a board director until June 28, 2024.
 
Milano Furuta, president of Takeda’s Japan Pharma Business Unit (JPBU), will succeed Saroukos, effective April 1, 2024. Furuta will report to Christophe Weber, president & CEO, and will be based in Tokyo, Japan. As CFO, Furuta will be proposed to the board of directors as a candidate for election to the board.

About Milano Furata

Prior to joining Takeda in 2010, Furuta worked as an equity research analyst at an investment management firm in the United States. Furuta began his career in 2000 in banking and private equity investment in Japan, where he was involved with several types of financial transactions, including leveraged buyouts and debt restructuring.
 
Before becoming JPBU president, Furuta served as corporate strategy officer and chief of staff at Takeda, and has held multiple leadership roles with the company around the world. Furuta holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Hitotsubashi University in Japan.
 
“It gives me great confidence to know that Milano, a long-time Takeda colleague, is stepping into this role,” said Weber. “Milano’s global experience and exceptional leadership qualities make him well-equipped to lead our talented finance organization. I look forward to working with Milano more closely to deliver on our commitment to investing in growth and shareholder returns.”
 
“I am honored and excited to take on the role of CFO of Takeda. I wish Costa all the best on his return to Australia and I look forward to building on his legacy and contributing to Takeda as a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader,” said Furuta.