The Planned Restructuring of the Agricultural Chemical and Pharmaceutical Giant Bayer Is Advancing. According to Chief Human Resources Officer Heike Prinz, initial departments have already been reallocated and the majority of the actions are expected to be completed by the end of the year. "We're right in the middle of it," Prinz proudly emphasizes in Leverkusen.

The restructuring is one of the central projects of the Group CEO Bill Anderson, who has been in office since June. In January, job cuts were already announced, mainly in management. The aim is to optimize work processes and simplify decision-making processes.

According to the Prince, fewer "managers who manage managers managing managers" are needed. Bayer currently employs around 100,000 people; how many positions will ultimately be cut remains unclear.

Anderson emphasizes that the restructuring will lead to faster innovations and improved customer service. At the same time, costs are to be reduced by cutting roles that do not offer direct added value to customers.

Bayer is in a difficult phase: Lawsuits in the USA over the weedkiller glyphosate and the environmental chemical PCB weigh down the balance sheet. While PCB has been banned for decades, glyphosate is still used in agriculture.

Additionally, revenues from current top-selling drugs are gradually declining, without equivalent successor products in sight. At the end of 2023, a major drug study failed, which also affected the stock price of the traditional company.

The Bayer stock was down, but in after-hours trading at the Tradegate Exchange, there are initial signs of recovery: The stock temporarily rose by 0.07 percent to 27.84 euros. Despite the challenges facing the company, investors seem to continue to have confidence in its future development.

The restructuring is an important step to get Bayer back on track for success.