GrowthPassing on the CEO Baton — Continuing to Deliver Life-Changing Value to Patients Worldwide

In March 2026, Kyowa Kirin implemented changes to its management structure, with Abdul Mullick, Representative Director, President and COO, succeeding Masashi Miyamoto, Representative Director and Chairman, in the role of CEO. In this article, we speak with Miyamoto, who has passed on the CEO baton, about the initiatives undertaken to date and his perspectives on the future direction of management.

Eight years have passed since I assumed the position of Representative Director and President in March 2018. Over this period, we successfully launched a number of new drugs onto the global market and achieved significant corporate growth. Our next-generation pipeline, which will support our future earnings base, is also progressing steadily. By adding Orchard Therapeutics plc as a colleague in 2024, we also gained the new modality of gene and cell therapy.

Alongside the acceleration of our global expansion, the diversity of our talent has also advanced, attracting highly capable colleagues who share our aspirations from around the world. We have been striving to become a "Super Team" that brings together diverse members to tackle a wide range of challenges, respond flexibly to change with courage and speed, and work toward the realization of our vision. The foundational concept underpinning this effort is summarized in the "KABEGOE Principles," established in 2025. These principles were developed through six months of discussions among members including the CxO, to articulate how our management philosophy and values should be translated into daily actions, and what kind of team is needed to achieve our vision, defining our guiding behaviors and mindset. Since their introduction, they have been positively embraced not only in Japan but also across our global sites, with many expressing that "this is exactly what we have been seeking," and are steadily being embedded into our day-to-day activities.

Yes, indeed. In March 2026, I passed on the CEO's baton to Abdul Mullick. The C-suite Executive he leads is comprised of diverse members. As a member of that team, I will harness my management experience to provide steadfast support.

As a member of top management, I have built a wide-ranging network with industry associations, academia, and external experts. Looking ahead, as I transition away from the CEO role, I intend to venture out into the wider world to an even greater extent and deepen my engagement with external stakeholders, feeding back to the Company the diverse insights I gain from these experiences while supporting the growth of team members. I take that to be my new role. I will also engage with patient organizations in a more proactive manner. While this will entail difficulties due to the regulatory environment in Japan, I hope to engage more deeply so that we can better understand patients' true needs, including the complex circumstances surrounding their diseases as well as needs that patients themselves may not yet be aware of.

Drugs, which can be delivered to many patients around the world, have the power to relieve patients' suffering and bring smiles to their faces. That is the true power they possess, and the joy of harnessing that power is precisely why I work at Kyowa Kirin. The sense of fulfillment I derive from bringing smiles to patients' faces is deeply ingrained in my heart.

What I find most admirable about Mullick-san, who has now taken the reigns of management, is his strong belief in putting patients' smiles at the heart of everything we do. Having already personally visited frontline sites around the world to directly share our vision, he continues to convey his message in a consistent manner.

I am confident that the Kyowa Kirin Group will bring even more smiles to patients' faces through to 2030 and beyond.