Stephen Knowles

Biography

  Stephen Knowles is senior vice president and chief financial officer for Astellas in the Americas. In this role, Knowles oversees the company’s financial activities and compliance, including internal and external reporting requirements, taxes, advance pricing agreement negotiations and transfer pricing. He is responsible for multiple groups within the organization, including information systems, treasury, data governance and procurement. Knowles is a member of the Astellas US Management Committee. Knowles is also the executive sponsor of Astellas' Asian employee resource group. Knowles joined Fujisawa – merged with Yamanouchi in 2005 to create Astellas – in 1989 as a senior accountant, and has since held positions of increasing responsibility. In 2008, Knowles became vice president of finance and procurement, executing the timely and accurate completion of all Astellas internal and external reporting requirements, including the preparation of GAAP financial statements and accompanying footnotes; government reporting; and internal monthly financial statement preparation. He also coordinated federal and state income tax returns with external auditors. Before joining Fujisawa, Knowles was a senior financial accountant and senior auditor at Nicor, Inc., where he conducted financial reporting control audits at company subsidiaries and coordinated various Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Knowles’ experience includes several facets of consolidation, budgets and financial reporting, including those for management, stockholders and Securities and Exchange Commission. Knowles earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting and administration from the University of Kansas, received CPA certification in 1987 from the State of Illinois and a Master of Business Administration from Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University in 2000.  

Research Interest

financial activities and compliance