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Bill Anderson to become CEO of Bayer

Bayer has appointed Bill Anderson as CEO. Anderson was elected unanimously after a thorough selection process that began in the middle of 2022. Werner Baumann (60), the current CEO of Bayer, will work closely with him on a smooth transition before retiring from Bayer after 35 years of service at the end of May 2023.

Anderson, a chemical engineer by education, has served in various leadership positions in the life science industry over the past 25 years. Most recently, he served as CEO of Roche’s Pharmaceuticals Division, where he successfully led a comprehensive transformation program that resulted in many successful new product launches, significant revenue growth, and greater productivity across the organization. Before this role, Anderson was CEO of Genentech, one of the pioneering companies in the biotech field.

Previously, Anderson held several senior leadership positions in general management, product development, and finance at Biogen, another innovation leader in the biotech sphere, and Raychem, an American technology and electronics company. During his time at Biogen, Genentech, and Roche, Anderson was involved in the development and launch of 25 new medicines. Anderson has lived and worked in several European countries with postings in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland. In his new role, he will be based in Leverkusen, Germany.

“We are very excited to welcome Bill Anderson as the new CEO of Bayer. He is the ideal candidate to lead Bayer together with the team into a new, successful chapter at a time of a disruptive innovation cycle in biology, chemistry, and artificial intelligence. Bill has an outstanding track record of building strong product pipelines and turning biotech breakthroughs into products. Beyond that, he is a truly transformational leader who creates a culture that propels innovation, boosts productivity and performance, and allows people to thrive,” says  Dr. Norbert Winkeljohann, chairman of the supervisory board of Bayer. “His mission is clear: enable Bayer to realize its full potential and create sustainable value for our shareholders, farmers, patients, consumers, employees, and all stakeholders of the company.”