Tomi Penttilä has been appointed as the new Head of Bayer's Product Supply Center in Turku, and he will move to the new position on 1 September 2021 from the position of Bayer Oy’s Production Director. Penttilä has been working in management positions both in production and portfolio management at Bayer Oy for six years. Penttilä previously worked in challenging international management positions at Microsoft Oy and has a strong background in business development in the field of innovation and transformation. 

Following the recent announcemet of the major investments in Turku, Jennifer Hunt, the current Head of Bayer's Product Supply Center in Turku, will be the Head of Strategy and Excellence for Bayer’s global pharmaceutical product supply organization from 1 September onwards.

Turku is Bayer's global center of excellence and innovation hub in polymer based drug delivery technology and long-acting contraceptives, and thus one of Bayer’s most important pharmaceutical plants globally. Products developed in Turku are exported to more than 130 countries and have been Finland’s largest pharmaceutical export product for more than a decade. Thanks to this expertise, the hormonal coils manufactured in Turku are globally the third best-selling pharmaceuticals of the Bayer Group. 

Two weeks ago, Bayer announced its 250 million investment for the construction of a new pharmaceutical plan and modernization of the existing plant in Turku. 
 

• It is really great to continue the important work that has enabled our success in Turku. The new production facility will be one of the most modern pharmaceutical plants in which the latest technology, automation and robotics will be widely utilized. This investment further strengthens Bayer's footprint in Finland and Turku's role as the contraceptive capital of the world.  We are building our future as an international biosciences company on this solid foundation, Penttilä says.

In addition to hormonal coils, the Product Supply Center in Turku develops and manufactures the contraceptive implant that has been on the market since 1997. According to Penttilä, the current investment will make it possible to continue in Turku the work that has been carried out already 30 years for the benefit of women in the world.
 

• This investment will raise our operations to a new level. It secures long-term supply, which is required to meet Bayer's global sustainability goals. One of these goals is to provide 100 million women in developing countries with access to modern contraception by the end of the year 2030. The products manufactured in Turku play a key role achieving these goals, Penttilä says and continues:

• Our operating environment is constantly changing, and the fourth industrial revolution is underway. It is important we do not only react to change but lead it. Innovations and utilization of digital technology are the keys to success also in future. The direction is good, because over the last ten years we have been able to double our sales of the contraceptive product family. 

Strong investment in innovation and special expertise  
According to Miriam Holstein, CEO of Bayer Nordic, Bayer's future in the Nordic region is based on building a strong innovation environment and investing in expertise.
 

• Bayer has a strong footprint in Finland and Turku, where the production facility is one of Bayer’s most important pharmaceutical plants globally. We have just announced a significant investment in Turku, underlining the special expertise Bayer has built up in the supply center over the past decades.

• Our sincere thanks go to Jennifer Hunt, whose many contributions were key in advancing Turku’s initiatives including the recently announced investment. Tomi Penttilä, with his strong background and deep expertise in the Turku production stands for a smooth transition and is the ideal person as the Site Head for the Turku production plant to lead change and innovation. In that way we can develop and further strengthen Finland's position in the global market, Holstein says.

Hunt is looking forward to her new role in the global organization, though feeling a little wistful.

• I have loved my time working in Turku. I am moving on with confidence as the recently announced major investment will create a solid basis for future. I will leave the Turku plant in good hands: the experience Penttilä has gained both before joining Bayer and after will be invaluable in helping the site to navigate the significant upcoming changes 

• I am now looking forward to my new challenge, supporting Bayer’s Pharmaceutical Product Supply organization. It is exciting to work in a global life science company that has such a strong future-oriented outlook and ambitious goals, Hunt says.

Further information and interview requests:
Communications and External Affairs Manager Marjo Mäkipää, marjo.makipaa@bayer.com, +358 45 691 3881

Bayer in Finland

Our product portfolio in Finland includes Bayer's prescription drugs, over-the-counter products, crop protection agents and control substances. Our international operations in Finland focus on prescription drugs: research and development, production, and export of products manufactured in Finland to over 100 countries. Many of Bayer's international clinical trials are also led from Finland. *The headquarters of Bayer Nordic are in Espoo. The regional organization comprises Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Bayer employs about 1000 people in Finland. For more information about Bayer Finland, go to www.bayer.com/fi/fi/suomi.

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 planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to drive sustainable development and generate 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 2020, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 41.4 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 4.9 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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