Leadership Team

Yasuo Takeuchi

Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Olympus Corporation

Mr. Yasuo Takeuchi began his career in 1980 at Olympus Optical Co. Ltd, now known as Olympus Corporation. Since joining the Company, he has held various roles in Corporate Planning, the Medical Business, the Life Science Business and the Corporate Executive Office, many of which included global responsibilities. He now serves as President and CEO for Olympus Corporation globally.

In 2009, Mr. Takeuchi was appointed the role of Executive Officer for Olympus Corporation, and later assumed various executive-level and global responsibilities including: Director of Olympus Corporation of Asia Pacific Limited; Chairman of Olympus Corporation of the Americas; Senior Executive Managing Officer of Olympus Corporation; and Director Member of the Board for Olympus Corporation. In 2013, he also assumed the position of Director of Olympus Europa Management SE. In April 2015, he assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Management for Olympus Corporation.

In addition to his current roles as President and CEO of Olympus Corporation, Yas serves as the head of the Board of Directors for Olympus Corporation of the Americas.

Mr. Takeuchi graduated from Chuo University, Faculty of Commerce in Hachioji, Japan.

Nacho Abia

Chief Operating Officer, Olympus Corporation; Chief Executive Officer, Olympus Corporation of the Americas

Nacho started his career with Olympus in 2001 as the Chief Executive Officer of the Iberia Region based in Barcelona, Spain. He later moved to Hamburg, Germany in 2007 to take on a role as the Managing Director of the Consumer Imaging Business for the Olympus Europa region.

In 2011, he moved to Center Valley, Pennsylvania to join Olympus Corporation of the Americas (OCA) and assumed the responsibility of President for its Consumer Imaging Business Division. In 2013, he was promoted to the role of President of OCA and in March 2015 was also appointed as its CEO; a role he continues to hold today overseeing the Company’s activities throughout North and South America. In 2020, he stepped down as President of OCA in order to take on a global leadership role as Chief Operating Officer of Olympus Corporation. He is also a member of OCA’s Board of Directors and of the Global Executive Committee of Olympus in Tokyo.

In addition to his Olympus responsibilities, Nacho serves on the Board of Directors of AdvaMed (Advanced Medical Technology Association) and on the Board of Directors of the US-Spain Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining Olympus, Nacho held several positions in the IT and consumer electronics industries working for a variety of high-tech companies, including Sony and Techdata. He holds dual Master’s Degrees; one in Telecommunications and Electronic Engineering, and another in Business Administration.

Born in Spain, Nacho is married with two children and currently lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In his personal time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing tennis, hiking, running and cycling. He firmly believes in the motto, “Be persistent. Never give up and fight for what you believe is right.”

Julien Sauvagnargues

President and Regional Representative Officer, Olympus Corporation of the Americas

Originally from Albertville, France, Mr. Julien Sauvagnargues performs his current role as President and Regional Representative Officer of Olympus Corporation of the Americas (OCA), overseeing the Company’s activities throughout North and South America from headquarters in Center Valley, PA. He is also a member of the OCA Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Formerly, he was the President of the Scientific Solutions Group (SSG) and Consumer Products Group (CPG).

Julien joined Olympus France in 2006 as a Division Manager for the Microscopy and Industrial Endoscopy Products, later becoming Division Manager of France and Belgium in 2008 for Consumer Products. In 2012, he and his family relocated to the United States after accepting the position of Vice President of Sales of North America for Olympus Imaging America Inc. (OIMA). The following year, he was promoted to Group Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Prior to joining Olympus, he served four years as the Sales & Marketing Director at Arjo Wiggins in France.

Julien holds a master’s degree in technology and management from CentraleSupélec, a research institution in France, and a second master’s degree in finance from Edhec Business School.

In his free time, Mr. Sauvagnargues enjoys playing tennis, listening to music and reading.

Gabriela Kaynor

Global Division Co-Head, Therapeutic Solutions Division, Olympus Corporation

Gabriela Kaynor is a seasoned medical device professional with more than 22 years of experience, and currently serves as the Global Division Co-Head for the Therapeutic Solutions Division (TSD) headquartered in Westborough, MA. She joined Olympus in 2016 as the Executive Director of Strategy Development and Portfolio Management for Olympus Surgical Technologies America (OSTA). In 2017, she took on additional responsibilities for OSTA’s Project Management Office and Upstream Marketing. In 2019, she became the Senior Vice President for Global Portfolio Management and Strategy for TSD, and in 2020 she assumed her current role as Global Division Co-Head, TSD, with global P&L responsibility across Urology, GI EndoTherapy, Respiratory, Surgical Devices and ENT. Gabriela is also a member of Olympus Corporation of the Americas’ Board of Directors.

Gabriela began her career with Johnson & Johnson in Operations and advanced through positions of increasing responsibility in Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering and Plant Management. She later joined Covidien for seven years, transitioning into roles focused on product and pipeline development with positions in R&D, PMO and Portfolio Management across multiple divisions. 

In her free time, Gabriela enjoys traveling with the family, participating in outdoor activities, appreciating blue skies, going to the beach, and enjoying good meals with family and friends.