Reinventing Bayer: CEO Bill Anderson’s Push for Agility and Innovation

When Bill Anderson became CEO of the German pharmaceutical conglomerate Bayer AG in 2023, he found a company with a long history and a robust corporate bureaucracy. The company handbook was 1,300 pages, and layer after layer of management too easily stifled innovation. Anderson, who worked at Genentech earlier in his career, wanted to instill more of an ownership culture, where decisions and information moved more nimbly. Almost two years in, the changes have been significant: The entire company now runs on 90-day review cycles—allowing for quicker course correction and more of a startup feel for the 161-year-old firm. Anderson is this week’s guest on Leadership Next. He spoke to Diane and Kristin about the current state of the health care system, the U.S. regulatory environment, and Bayer’s newest advancements in Parkinson’s treatment, as well as the company’s own complicated history. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

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Something big is happening in the world of business. CEOs increasingly say their jobs have become less about giving orders, more about inspiring, motivating, setting a north star. They are taking the lead on big issues like climate change, worker retraining, and diversity and inclusion. They are under pressure from employees, customers and investors not just to turn a profit, but to prove they are doing good in the world. And in the process, they are fundamentally redefining the relationship between business and society. Join Fortune Executive Editorial Director Diane Brady and Editorial Director Kristin Stoller as they engage global leaders on the insights, experiences and issues you need to know.