Mississauga, Ontario, September 16, 2026: Bayer today announced that Viktoria Friedrich has been appointed President and CEO of Bayer Inc. in Canada, effective immediately. She will continue to serve as Country President and General Manager, Pharmaceuticals, based at the company’s headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario. In this role, Friedrich will lead legal entity corporate governance for Bayer Inc., the operating entity for Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Radiology and supporting functions in Canada, working closely with teams and partners across the country to support better health outcomes for patients and communities.
The appointment reflects Bayer’s continued commitment to advancing innovation in health and serving patients and communities across Canada. Since joining Bayer in 2021, Friedrich has taken on roles of increasing responsibility within Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals division, first as Vice President, Global Head of Cardiovascular Strategy, Portfolio & Digital Innovation in Berlin, Germany, and most recently as Country President and General Manager, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Canada. Her global and Canadian leadership experience connects pharmaceutical strategy, digital innovation and patient-focused healthcare delivery, providing a strong foundation for leading Bayer Inc. in Canada and advancing its mission to improve health outcomes.
Friedrich’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Canada’s healthcare sector, as advances in science, data, digital technologies and collaborative research are reshaping how innovation reaches patients. As a life sciences company, Bayer plays an important industry role by investing in research and development, collaborating across the healthcare ecosystem, and helping translate scientific discovery into practical solutions that can support patients, healthcare professionals and communities. With her global and Canadian experience, Friedrich is well positioned to work with teams, partners and stakeholders to strengthen Bayer Canada’s contribution to a more innovative, resilient and patient-focused healthcare system.
“I am deeply honoured to take on the role of President and CEO for Bayer Inc. in Canada. Across the country, our people bring extraordinary passion, expertise, and care to their work every day, all in service of Bayer’s mission to help people and the planet thrive. I feel privileged to support them, to champion their ideas, and to help create the conditions for our teams and our business to grow. Together, we have a powerful opportunity to make a lasting, positive impact for patients, customers, partners, and communities across Canada,” says Friedrich.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s 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 2025, the Group employed around 88,000 people and had sales of 45.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.
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