Written on 06.10.2010 - Industry
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Handover at Bayer

Some 300 guests from industry, politics, sport and the Bayer world bade farewell to Werner Wenning at a festive gathering in Leverkusen, Germany. Wenning – retiring after nearly 45 years with the company – handed a relay baton made of Bayer’s Makrolon plastic to Dr. Marijn Dekkers, the new Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG.

Werner Wenning (left) hands over the relay baton to the new Bayer CEO, Dr. Marijn Dekkers

The baton contains a note which reads: "Mr. Dekkers, to be truly happy you need three things: someone you love, a challenging task and a great deal of hope. I believe you have all these things. Your predecessor Werner Wenning."

The passing of the baton from one CEO to the next is a Bayer tradition. This baton was first handed by Professor Herbert Grünewald to Hermann-Josef Strenger in 1984. Inside it are all the notes containing handwritten messages from each CEO to his successor.

According to a report in "Die Welt", the new Chairman of the Leverkusen-based Group aims to streamline the company and make it faster to increase output. However, Dekkers wants to hold on to the existing three business units HealthCare, CropScience, and MaterialScience for now, says the report.