Astellas Pharma Inc. announced a significant restructuring of its top management team, effective October 1, 2025, marking a strategic shift in how the Japanese pharmaceutical giant organizes its digital transformation and strategic planning functions.
The Tokyo-based company revealed that Nick Eshkenazi, current Chief Digital & Transformation Officer (CDTO), will depart Astellas on September 30, 2025. Following his departure, the CDTO position will be eliminated from the top management structure entirely.
Strategic Function Integration
In a notable organizational change, Astellas will integrate both Digital and Transformation functions into its Strategy function, which will be led by Adam Pearson, the Chief Strategy Officer (CStO). This consolidation represents a streamlined approach to managing the company's digital initiatives and transformation efforts under unified strategic leadership.
The restructured top management team will consist of eight key positions, with Naoki Okamura continuing as Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer. Other senior leadership roles include Katsuyoshi Sugita as Representative Director and Corporate Executive Vice President, serving as Chief People Officer, and Tadaaki Taniguchi as Chief Research & Development Officer.
Leadership Structure
The complete top management structure effective October 1, 2025, includes Rao Mantri as Chief Manufacturing Officer, Claus Zieler as Chief Commercial & Medical Affairs Officer, Atsushi Kitamura as Chief Financial Officer, and Tatjana Dragovic as General Counsel and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer.
This organizational change comes as Astellas continues its mission as a global life sciences company committed to turning innovative science into value for patients. The company maintains its focus on providing transformative therapies across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, ophthalmology, urology, immunology, and women's health.
Strategic Focus
Through its research and development programs, Astellas continues to pioneer new healthcare solutions for diseases with high unmet medical need. The integration of digital and transformation functions under the strategy umbrella suggests a more cohesive approach to implementing technological innovations and organizational changes that support the company's therapeutic development goals.
