Bayer Pharmaceuticals, the renowned German-based pharmaceutical and chemical company credited with the discovery and commercialization of Aspirin, is facing significant challenges.
Over the past decade, they have experienced considerable underperformance, resulting in an 80% loss in their market value. Their shares, once trading at a high of €140+, are now hovering around €27-28 per share. Additionally, the company has accumulated a staggering amount of debt, reportedly reaching €34.5 billion.
So, what steps are they taking to reverse this downward trend?
The new CEO, Bill Anderson, who assumed leadership in June last year, is implementing some bold changes:
- He is streamlining several layers of middle management.
- He is drastically reducing the extensive 1,362-page corporate handbook.
What are his objectives behind these actions?
Firstly, by reducing management layers, he aims to achieve annual savings of €2.15 billion. Secondly, by eliminating bureaucracy, he intends to instigate a cultural shift towards trusting and empowering their workforce—individuals with high education, knowledge, expertise, and experience.
This cultural shift is expected to foster greater innovation, allowing for quicker decision-making and implementation processes.
Under the new structure, Bill Anderson envisions creating between 5,000-6,000 groups or teams working on projects for 90-day cycles before reassessing their progress. These teams will operate independently with minimal oversight.
This transformation in culture and structure bears resemblance to the principles outlined in the book 'No Rules Rules' by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer, which explores the organizational culture of Netflix.
Similar strategies have been adopted by tech companies to eliminate layers of bureaucracy, fostering innovation and independence.
But will such a model succeed in a highly regulated pharmaceutical environment?
There's no reason it shouldn't, as long as close collaboration is maintained between Quality, Regulatory, and all other departments.
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