Uthra Sundaram EVP, Head, Global Product and Launch Strategy Takeda

Uthra Sundaram was appointed head of Global Product & Launch Strategy (GPLS) in June 2020, where she leads that organization’s focus on realizing the promise of our pipeline, driving global brand growth, and becoming a center of excellence within Takeda and in the industry for both asset strategy and launch success. To this role she brings a passion for building connections between commercial and R&D, as well as a broad global background in the U.S., Europe and Asia, which has given her a deep understanding of how to operate successfully within diverse markets, cultures and health systems.

Uthra joined Takeda in 2016 as our Global Commercial Leader for gastroenterology (GI), where she worked with R&D to develop our GI strategy and led commercial strategy for GI pipeline and marketed products. In 2017, she moved into the USBU to build and lead our GI Business Unit (GIBU), where she was responsible for the strategy and execution of the U.S. commercial GI portfolio, including field sales and accounts; marketing; operations; insights, data and analytics; and patient access services. Her leadership principle is to inspire people with a clear and compelling vision while supporting them by elevating their cross functional skills – thereby enabling them to excel individually. She aspires to be an authentic leader who believes in candid feedback, team empowerment, crisp decision-making, and being a role model of the values she advocates.