CAMBRIDGE, Mass.– Takeda has tapped industry veteran Rhonda Pacheco to serve as president of its U.S. Business Unit, effective September 29. Pacheco, who most recently was group vice president of U.S. Cardiometabolic Health at Eli Lilly, will also join Takeda’s Executive Team.
She succeeds Julie Kim, who was appointed earlier this year by Takeda’s Board of Directors to become the company’s next president and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 2026. Until the transition, Kim will concentrate on preparing for her expanded role while serving as interim head of the Global Portfolio Division.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rhonda to Takeda,” said Kim and current CEO Christophe Weber in a joint statement. “Rhonda embodies our values, and she brings a compelling blend of strategic acumen, operational excellence and people-first leadership that aligns seamlessly with the evolving needs of our U.S. Business Unit and Takeda’s broader enterprise vision.”
Pacheco spent more than two decades at Eli Lilly, where she managed complex portfolios, oversaw major product launches — most recently the company’s GLP-1 portfolio — and drove strong commercial performance.
“For me, joining Takeda to lead the U.S. Business Unit is where purpose and possibility come together — a chance to reshape how we deliver breakthrough science to patients,” Pacheco said. “I’m energized to be working with such a talented team to accelerate innovation, deepen trust, and set a new standard for what patients, partners and communities can expect from Takeda.”
A Massachusetts native, Pacheco holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a doctorate of pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island, where she also captained the women’s basketball team.
