Who is Dr Judith Hartmann, Chief Finance Officer of Bayer?

Bayer AG, the multinational company with core competencies in the life science fields of healthcare and nutrition, has announced that Dr Judith Hartmann will be the company’s next Chief Finance Officer (CFO) on 1 June 2026.

She will succeed Wolfgand Nickl, the company’s current CFO, following his planned retirement at the end of May 2026.

Professor Dr Norbet Winkeljohann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bayer AG, said in a statement discussing the end of his tenure: “Wolfgang Nickl has built a strong foundation over the past seven years as CFO.

“Under his leadership, the structure and operations have been dramatically simplified with further improvements in the effectiveness of the organisation and extensive efficiency gains. We are very grateful for this.”

The Supervisory Board of Bayer has also appointed Judith to the company’s Board of Management, effective 1 June 2026.

Discussing her appointment, Norbert added: “With Judith Hartmann, Bayer is gaining a highly accomplished leader with vast international experience.

“She brings both strategic insight and strong operational skills. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated transformational leadership - guiding businesses through challenges and discovering new opportunities.

“We are convinced that she will make a great contribution to the future of the company.”

Dr Judith Hartmann’s career

Judith has served as an Operating Partner at Sandbrook Capital, a private investment firm focused on building leading climate infrastructure companies, since 2023.

Prior to that, she was CFO and deputy CEO at ENGIE, a global energy company based in France, and served as Group CFO at Bertelsmann, a media services and education company.

Alongside these exec roles, Judith has been a Non-Executive Director of several companies, including serving on the Board of Unilever from 2015 to 2024 and joining the Board of Directors of Marsh McLennan, a professional services company, in 2023.

Most recently, she joined the Board of Ørsted, the world’s largest offshore wind energy company.

Sharing the news of her new role on LinkedIn, she said she is “honoured” to join Bayer in 2026, adding: “Bayer’s mission - 'Health for All, Hunger for None' - deeply resonated with my personal and professional passions.”

She added that having worked in similar industries in the past, she is excited to return to Bayer's industry sectors, adding that she looks forward “to contributing to the next chapter of focused investment, disciplined execution and innovation at scale”.

“In the coming months, I look forward to listening and learning from Bayer colleagues, partners, patients, consumers and farmers around the world.”

Developments at Bayer AG

With Judith stating her alignment with the company motto of ‘Health for All, Hunger for None’, Bayer is continuing its commitment to this through its climate pledges.

The company announced on 10 November that it has restored a historic building, now named Casa Bayer, in the host city of COP30 Belém to bring together a diverse set of stakeholders.

Deutsche Bank, Siemens and Bayer signed an agreement with rainforest nations to support forest conservation through carbon markets under the Paris Agreement.

As a new member of the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance, Bayer says it contributes to reducing CO2 emissions in global air transport.

Bill Anderson, Member and Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG, said in a company statement: “Bayer has a long and deep connection with the people of Brazil, our customers and employees.

“With COP30 taking place in one of our most important markets, we wanted to find a different and more lasting means of engagement, one that shows our great interest in the health and prosperity of this country and the planet.”