Nxera Pharma Announces Appointments to its Executive Leadership Team
- Mr. Kiyoshi Kaneko appointed as Chief Commercial Officer, and Ms. Mariko Nakafuji promoted to Chief Legal Officer
Tokyo, Japan and Cambridge, UK, 1 April 2025 – Nxera Pharma Co., Ltd. (“Nxera” or “the Company”; TSE 4565) today announces two new appointments to its Leadership team: Mr. Kiyoshi Kaneko, is appointed as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), and Ms. Mariko Nakafuji is promoted into the role of Chief Legal Officer (CLO).
Mr. Kaneko brings experience in business development, corporate strategy, marketing and commercial roles within the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in Japan. At AstraZeneca, a leading global pharmaceutical company, he held the position of Senior Vice President for its commercial organization and corporate strategy in Japan, and prior to that, as Senior Vice President of its Primary Care business unit. Since 2017, he has been Representative Director and President of Luye Life Sciences Group Japan and has led strategic partnerships with Japanese life sciences companies working across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and hospital businesses. Mr. Kaneko will take up the newly created position of CCO at Nxera and will be based in Japan.
Ms. Nakafuji joined Nxera in 2021 as General Counsel and played a key role in the Company’s transformational acquisition of the Japan and South Korean businesses of Idorsia Pharmaceuticals, as well as several other strategic projects. She previously worked at Deloitte LLP and Jones Day LLP where she specialised in corporate M&A, investments and private equity with a particular focus on the life sciences sector. Ms. Nakafuji is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales. In the new role of CLO, Ms. Nakafuji will be responsible for global (ex-Japan) legal affairs and will be based in the UK.
Leadership Team (Effective 1 April 2025)
President & Chief Executive Officer Chris Cargill
EVP, Chief Financial Officer Hironoshin Nomura
EVP, Chief Operating Officer Toshihiro Maeda
EVP, President of Nxera Japan, Chief Medical Officer Makoto Sugita
EVP, President of Nxera UK, Chief Scientific Officer Matt Barnes
EVP, Chief Accounting Officer Kieran Johnson
EVP, Chief Compliance Officer Kazuhiko Yoshizumi
EVP, Chief of Staff Candelle Chong
EVP, Chief Commercial Officer Kiyoshi Kaneko (New)
EVP, Chief Legal Officer Mariko Nakafuji (New)
Chris Cargill, President and CEO of Nxera, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Mr. Kaneko to our team at Nxera. His extensive experience at global pharmaceutical companies will allow us to maximize our commercial activities in Japan and will be valuable to us as we strive to become one of the leading biopharma businesses in Japan.
“It is also a great pleasure to announce the promotion of Ms. Nakafuji to the new role of Chief Legal Officer, a very well-deserved acknowledgement of her contribution to Nxera’s transformation over the past few years and her commitment to the Company’s exciting future.”
Mr. Kiyoshi Kaneko added: “Nxera is uniquely positioning itself in the Japanese pharmaceutical industry, and I’m confident that its foresight and agility will enable the company to capitalize on the major opportunities likely to arise as the industry in Japan accelerates its development. I’m very pleased to join Nxera at such an important time of change and I look forward to being part of Nxera’s ambitious growth plans through the development of its commercialization capabilities in Japan to bring new and innovative medicines to patients.”
Ms. Mariko Nakafuji, commented: “I am proud to step into the new role of Chief Legal Officer and look forward to working closely with the talented team to further advance our mission and build Nxera into a leading biopharma company in Japan and internationally.”
