Leverkusen, August 21, 2023 – The Supervisory Board of Bayer AG has unanimously appointed Heike Prinz to Bayer’s Board of Management effective September 1, 2023. She will become the company’s Chief Talent Officer and Labor Director. This follows the mutual agreement by Board member Sarena Lin and Bayer’s Supervisory Board to not extend her contract beyond January 31, 2024. 

Heike Prinz (58), most recently Head of Commercial Operations Europe, Middle East & Africa for Bayer’s Pharmaceutical Division, and a member of the Pharmaceuticals Executive Committee, has a nearly thirty-seven-year career with Bayer. Heike Prinz joined Schering AG, which Bayer acquired in 2006, in November 1986, and has held roles of increasing responsibility in Sales, Marketing, as Chief of Staff, and in General Management, among others.

Heike Prinz holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Berlin School of Economics and Law. She has comprehensive experience in leading large organizations across multiple layers and in different cultural contexts. She has a strong track record of successful product launches, business turnarounds, driving sustainable growth and cultural transformation. Heike Prinz is married and in addition to her native country, Germany, she has lived and worked in Singapore, Thailand, and Japan. In her new role, she will be based in Leverkusen, Germany.

"We are very pleased to have Heike Prinz join Bayer’s Board of Management. Her breadth and depth of experience, and outstanding track record of developing and growing businesses through her leadership of large, global teams around the world, make her an ideal candidate for her new assignment," said Prof. Dr. Norbert Winkeljohann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bayer AG. "Heike is a role model in people development and a true champion for diversity, equity and inclusion. She will bring a strong business focus to the further development of our talent strategy at Bayer and to her role as Labor Director."

"At the same time, we would like to sincerely thank Sarena Lin for her dedication, valuable input and the successful initiatives undertaken under her leadership – all of which helped to lay the foundation for Bayer and its people to unlock the full potential of the company in this new chapter," said Winkeljohann. "During her tenure, Sarena has shaped and advanced leadership capabilities within the organization, inspiring trust, loyalty and strong performance from employees at all levels while also championing diversity, equity and inclusion. We wish her all the very best for the future."

Heike Hausfeld, Vice Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board and Chairwoman of the Bayer Central Works Council, said: "On behalf of the employee representatives, I’d like to welcome Heike Prinz to the Board of Management and as Labor Director. I’m confident that her long and successful tenure at Bayer, as well as her experience with the German labor force, will serve her well in her new role. I look forward to continuing to foster an open and trustful dialogue as part of the ongoing social partnership that we have built over many years at Bayer. At the same time, I would like to thank Sarena Lin for the constructive cooperation and her open ear to the concerns of the workforce. I really appreciated the exchange with Sarena over the past years and wish her all the best for the future."

Sarena Lin has served as member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG since February 1, 2021. She will leave the company effective August 31, 2023.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2022, the Group employed around 101,000 people and had sales of 50.7 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 6.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.