Luis Chia, former Director of Daiichi Sankyo, shared on LinkedIn:
“After nearly 7 years at Daiichi Sankyo, today marks the end of a really meaningful chapter for me.
When I joined in 2019, I never could have imagined the opportunities, challenges, and people that would shape the next seven years. I joined during a period when Daiichi Sankyo was transforming into an oncology company, and it was incredible to experience that evolution from the inside.
I got to see the business through some pretty extraordinary changes: navigating COVID, working alongside AstraZeneca as our alliance evolved, and watching the oncology pipeline grow into one of the most important parts of the company.
My roles evolved quite a bit along the way. I started in global business strategy and analytics, moved into oncology marketing and helped shape the strategy and launch planning for ENHERTU and DATROWAY, and most recently moved upstream into New Product Planning, working across the early oncology pipeline and thinking about which assets, indications, and opportunities could shape the portfolio years down the road.
Most importantly, I’m grateful for the people who made the experience what it was. The managers, mentors, colleagues, and friends who challenged me, trusted me with a lot of autonomy, and helped me grow along the way.
I’m also especially grateful for the unexpected chapter in Japan. Spending the past 18 months here gave me a much more global perspective on the business and a different perspective on change itself.
There’s a Japanese concept called mono no aware, an appreciation for the impermanence of things. I’ve thought about it a lot during this transition. The best chapters don’t last forever, and that’s part of what makes them meaningful.
It also reminds me of kintsugi, where the history of something becomes part of what makes it valuable. Careers rarely follow a perfectly straight line, and the unexpected turns often shape what we bring to whatever comes next.
Japan was certainly an unexpected chapter for me, but it changed how I think about the work. Being much closer to R&D and early portfolio strategy reinforced how important it is to make the right decisions before an asset ever becomes a brand:
- Understanding the science
- Identifying the right patients and indications
- Making thoughtful portfolio choices while there is still time to shape an asset’s direction
That perspective is something I’ll carry with me into the next chapter.
Leaving after seven years is bittersweet. I’m proud of what we accomplished, excited to see where Daiichi Sankyo goes next, and will be rooting for the teams and pipeline from the sidelines.
I’m looking forward to working even closer to the early pipeline, bringing together scientific, clinical, and commercial perspectives, and helping shape the next generation of oncology medicines.
More on that chapter soon.
For now, thank you, Daiichi Sankyo. I’m leaving with a lot of gratitude, great memories, and even more people I’m lucky to call colleagues and friends.”
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