Daiichi Sankyo appointed John Tsai, former CMO at Novartis and Amgen, to lead global R&D effective April 1 as Ken Takeshita steps down. Tsai’s hiring signals a strategic tilt toward experienced, global R&D leadership as Daiichi positions its pipeline for late-stage development. Separately, the sector saw a spike in CFO appointments in February, with ten biopharma companies naming new finance chiefs. The wave includes hires with public-company and investment-banking backgrounds and reflects boards emphasizing commercial readiness, capital planning and M&A preparedness. Executives said the simultaneous turnover in scientific and financial leadership underscores companies’ push to mature programs, tighten budgets, and accelerate paths to value. Observers will watch how new R&D and finance leaders reshape program prioritization and external partnerships.