Leverkusen, April 28, 2023 — Bayer reinforced its position as an effective life science business in 2022 regardless of the tough conditions. “We now require to develop on these strong structures and set the course for future development,” CEO Werner Baumann stated at the business’s virtual Annual Stockholders’ Meeting in Leverkusen on Friday. “The requirement is substantial,” he included, keeping in mind how individuals will require much better and more sustainable health care and food systems as the international population continues to grow. Bayer remains in an excellent position, stated Baumann. “With company activities that blaze a trail and are growing worldwide, enormous power to innovate, and ingenious items and innovations. With extremely inspired and imaginative minds who have great deals of excellent concepts. And with an outstanding management group.”
Regardless of the difficult scenarios, 2022 was an extremely effective year for Bayer, thanks to “a mix of far-sighted danger management and active countermeasures,” stated Baumann. “We fulfilled or surpassed all our monetary targets and continued to provide, even in difficult times,” he highlighted, prior to signing up with Supervisory Board Chairman Prof. Dr. Norbert Winkeljohann in thanking the whole labor force for this significant accomplishment and all their effort. The pandemic and increasing geopolitical stress, such as the war in Ukraine, have actually triggered a good deal of turmoil, consisting of for Bayer, Baumann stated, indicating the energy crisis, high inflation and supply-chain traffic jams. “However, we have actually been impacted far less than numerous other business.” Bayer’s currency- and portfolio-adjusted sales increased by around 9 percent to 50.7 billion euros. EBITDA prior to unique products was available in at 13.5 billion euros– up 21 percent year on year– and core incomes per share increased by 22 percent to 7.94 euros. The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board for that reason proposed that the dividend be increased by 20 percent to 2.40 euros per share.
Baumann revealed his frustration with the present share cost. Bayer’s stock carried out relatively well last year in an unfavorable stock market environment, its market capitalization is still well listed below the real worth of the business, he stated. The CEO is persuaded that “Bayer has outstanding potential customers for the future.” He is likewise “really particular that this exceptional business still has its finest years ahead of it,” keeping in mind how brand-new services to the issues of our time are emerging at the crossway of biology, chemistry and advanced information science.
“Leading the method in environment security”
The development Bayer has actually attained in regards to environment defense has actually been commonly acknowledged by specialists. The distinguished CDP company last year ranked Bayer as one of the leading business in this location for the 5th time in a row. Baumann thinks that Bayer is blazing a trail in environment defense and is well on track to ending up being a climate-neutral business by 2030. The essential lies not just in minimizing emissions however likewise in reducing the impacts of environment modification, he discussed, including that Bayer is investing more than practically any other business in establishing crops that can cope much better with severe weather conditions and need less resources.
Among the most current sustainability-related advances mentioned by Baumann is Bayer’s brand-new water method that he provided at the United Nations Water Conference in New York last month. This method is developed to make water an essential part of the business’s company and financial investment choices. “We are likewise aiming to affect our providers and, in this method, produce industry-wide modifications to attend to the worldwide water crisis,” stated Baumann. He then offered the particular example of Bayer’s dedication to enhancing water usage per kg of rice by 25 percent by 2030, by changing rice-cropping systems for smallholder consumers. This would have a significant effect because rice is an essential food for almost half of the international population and rice fields are accountable for as much as 43 percent of the world’s watering water withdrawals.
Expense Anderson “is the best option for this function”
Winkeljohann invited Bill Anderson, Bayer’s CEO-elect who signed up with the Board of Management at the start of April, to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting. The Supervisory Board would support Anderson in “recognizing Bayer’s complete capacity and producing sustainable worth for our shareholders, farmers, clients, customers, workers and all of the business’s stakeholders,” stated Winkeljohann. Anderson mentioned tremendous chances to “turn possible into items, financial investments into effect, and visions into worth.” Baumann included that he is encouraged that Bill Anderson, together with the management group, will recognize the best actions to assist Bayer on its method to a brand-new, effective chapter. “In my viewpoint, Bill is the ideal option for this function. He has an outstanding performance history as a leading innovation-oriented supervisor and a service designer, and is likewise a strong leader.”
Werner Baumann will retire at the end of May 2023 after 35 years of service. Winkeljohann thanked him on behalf of the Supervisory Board, keeping in mind how, in his 7 years as CEO, Baumann has actually changed the business and guided it towards extremely appealing development markets. “By concentrating on health and nutrition, Bayer is extremely well located, particularly in unpredictable times like these.” Offered the abilities of the business and its staff members, Winkeljohann included that “we can all be really positive about the future.” Werner Baumann likewise resolved his upcoming departure. “Bayer has actually constantly been more than simply a company to me. Bayer is really near to my heart,” he stated, including that, “for me, it has actually constantly been an enjoyment and likewise an honor to be part of the Bayer group and to collaborate on a vision that might barely be higher or more motivating: Health for all, cravings for none.
Bayer is now a leading business in the growing farming sector, stated Baumann. Considering that 2016, it has actually invested an overall of over 35 billion euros in research study and advancement. The Leaps by Bayer effect financial investment arm has actually invested more than 1.7 billion U.S. dollars in over 55 business given that 2015, he described. Bayer has actually especially enhanced its Pharmaceuticals service with acquisitions amounting to a number of billion euros, Baumann stated, consisting of the production of a cell and gene treatment platform. “We have actually likewise taken our dedication to sustainability to an entire brand-new level by making it a crucial pillar of our technique,” stated Baumann.
Virtual Annual Stockholders’ Meeting has actually shown effective
Among the products on the program of the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting is the election of 2 Supervisory Board members: the reelection of the present Chairman Prof. Dr. Norbert Winkeljohann, and the election of Kimberly Mathisen, who was designated to the Supervisory Board efficient September 2022. The program likewise consists of a change to the Articles of Incorporation that, for a duration of 2 years, would license the Board of Management to hold virtual Annual Stockholders’ Meetings. The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board of Bayer are of the view that holding the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting as a virtual occasion has actually shown effective. The rights of shareholders have actually been considerably extended and are now mostly in line with those at Annual Stockholders’ Meetings went to face to face. In particular cases, nevertheless, there might be factors to hold Annual Stockholders’ Meetings face to face.
Notes:
More details is offered online at www.bayer.com/stockholders-meeting:
– Livestream of the whole Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (from approx. 10 a.m. CEST)
– Recording of the speeches by Prof. Dr. Norbert Winkeljohann and Werner Baumann (as quickly as possible after the occasion)
– Ballot results (as quickly as possible after the occasion)
– Agenda and more details on the occasion
Additional details is offered at www.bayer.com/news:
– Addresses by Prof. Dr. Norbert Winkeljohann and Werner Baumann
– Recent Bayer image product and images from the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (as quickly as they are offered)
Discover more details at www.bayer.com/en
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Positive Statements
This release might consist of positive declarations based upon present presumptions and projections made by Bayer management. Numerous recognized and unidentified threats, unpredictabilities and other elements might cause product distinctions in between the real future outcomes, monetary circumstance, advancement or efficiency of the business and the quotes offered here. These aspects consist of those talked about in Bayer’s public reports which are readily available on the Bayer site at www.bayer.com. The business presumes no liability whatsoever to upgrade these positive declarations or to adhere them to future occasions or advancements.