Bayer’s Transformation Efforts Ahead of Schedule, Says Top Executive
According to Bayer’s human resources director, Heike Prinz, the company has made significant progress in its restructuring efforts, with a reduction of 5,500 positions worldwide by the end of the third quarter of 2024. In an interview with the Rheinische Post, Prinz emphasized the company’s Dynamic Shared Ownership (DSO) model as a key factor in this success, describing it as a fundamental change in the system with more responsibility for employees, implemented in a decentralized and goal-free manner.
Over 1,000 teams across the company are already successfully operating under the new model, with more teams adopting the approach every week. Prinz cited the Consumer Health division as an example, where the introduction of new products has been accelerated, taking only six to nine months instead of the previous 12 to 15 months.
The reduction in positions is most noticeable in management, with the company aiming to reduce the number of leadership levels from up to 12 to around half that number. Prinz explained that the goal of DSO is to break down stifling hierarchies and be closer to customers.
Bayer’s top executive reiterated the company’s commitment to avoiding redundancies, with the goal of doing so until at least 2027, when the possibility of redundancies would theoretically arise as a last resort. Prinz described the mood within the company as mixed, with some teams still uncertain and others experiencing a genuine sense of renewal. With a global workforce of 94,200, including 21,300 in Germany, the company’s efforts are a significant undertaking.