Mississauga, ON, September 5, 2023 – Bayer Inc. (Bayer) is announcing the appointment of Viktoria Friedrich as Country President and General Manager – Pharmaceutical Division.
“Bayer‘s pharmaceuticals business in Canada has long been celebrated for its positive history of innovation and patient-centricity. I am excited to join this group and look forward to working with our partners across Canada to continue bringing benefits to patients,” said Viktoria Friedrich, Country President and General Manager for the Pharmaceuticals division in Canada. “This shared commitment to innovation and helping patients is at the core of everything we do at Bayer.”
In addition to her responsibilities as Country President and General Manager for Pharmaceuticals, Friedrich will also serve as a member of Bayer Canada’s country leadership team.
Viktoria brings over a decade of experience in pharmaceutical marketing, sales, and strategic planning. She joined Bayer in 2021 and most recently held the role of Vice President Global Head of Cardiovascular Strategy, Portfolio & Digital Innovation in Berlin wherein she successfully guided several multinational and cross-functional teams to deliver outstanding results.
Friedrich holds a double bachelor’s degree in social science and business studies with honours from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. She is fluent in several languages including French. She will be relocating to Canada, where she will be based at Bayer’s head office in Mississauga, Ontario.
Friedrich succeeds Alok Kanti, former Country Division Head, Pharmaceuticals Canada, and Senior Bayer Representative (SBR), roles Kanti has held since 2015. He will continue to support the transition until September 30 at which time he will leave Bayer.
Kanti first joined Bayer in 1994 and has held various roles throughout his career, working in close to 30 different countries. Under his leadership the Canadian business grew significantly and was recognized two years in a row as Canada’s Most Admired™ Corporate Cultures by Waterstone Human Capital and as a Best Place to Work by Human Resources Director. He served on several boards and leaves as the outgoing Chair of Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC).
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.ca.
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