Bayer AG, the Leverkusen-based global life sciences powerhouse, today announced that Dr. Judith Hartmann will become a member of the company’s Board of Management with effect from March 1, 2026. She will take over as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from Wolfgang Nickl on June 1, 2026, succeeding him following his planned retirement at the end of May. The move represents another important step in Bayer’s continuing strategic development toward securing its leading position in the health and nutrition markets worldwide.
With extensive international experience, Dr. Hartmann joins Bayer with a proven track record in finance and operational leadership. Currently, she is an Operating Partner at Sandbrook Capital, a private investment firm focused on building leading climate infrastructure companies. Previously, she served in various senior positions at the French global energy company ENGIE, including Chief Financial Officer and Deputy CEO, and Group CFO of Bertelsmann, one of Germany’s largest media, services, and education conglomerates. Earlier in her career, Dr. Hartmann held various management positions at General Electric (GE) in the United States, Europe, and Brazil, allowing her to work extensively across global business operations.
Professor Dr. Norbert Winkeljohann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bayer, said: “Judith Hartmann is a very accomplished and internationally experienced leader. She has strategic insight and strong operational skills. She has demonstrated transformational leadership throughout her career: guiding businesses through challenges and discovering new opportunities. We are convinced that she will make a great contribution to the future of the company.”
Wolfgang Nickl was the CFO of Bayer for the last seven years and spearheaded a period of significant operational streamlining and efficiency improvements. He oversaw structure simplification, optimization of organizational effectiveness, and notable efficiency gains for the company. “We are very grateful for his dedication and leadership,” added Dr. Winkeljohann.
Dr. Hartmann holds an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in economics from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, where she graduated in 1997. She started her career with The Walt Disney Company in Paris and later joined General Electric in 2000. At GE, she has held increasingly senior-level positions through financial and operational leadership in its healthcare and energy businesses, with broad experience in managing and supervising intricate global operations.
In 2012, she became Group CFO at Bertelsmann, later moving to ENGIE in 2015 and taking on different responsibilities there, such as Deputy CEO and Group CFO, all the way to interim Co-CEO. She was also responsible for leading the regional operations of ENGIE in North America and the UK & Ireland, hence showing her ability to navigate across very varied and challenging markets. In 2023 she joined Sandbrook Capital in her current role focusing on transformative climate infrastructure investments.
Dr. Hartmann is also a distinguished non-executive director, having sat on the boards of major global companies such as Unilever between 2015 and 2024, Marsh McLennan since 2023, and Ørsted since 2025. Previous directorships have included Suez, RTL Group, Electrabel, International Power, Penguin Random House, and Gruner & Jahr, which speak to her broad experience in corporate governance.
Beyond her professional success, Dr. Hartmann is an avid mountaineer and skier, and an active patron of the arts, with especially strong interests in painting and the support of young artists. Her diverse background underlines a leadership approach which merges strategic acumen with creativity and resilience.
Bayer AG, headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany, is a global enterprise with core competencies in healthcare and nutrition, with the mission of addressing some of society’s major challenges while supporting sustainable development. In 2024, Bayer had some 93,000 employees and generated sales of €46.6 billion. R&D expenses amounted to €6.2 billion. The company’s strategy and operations worldwide are guided by the “Health for all, Hunger for none” mission statement. The appointment of Dr. Hartmann represents the strategic direction and innovative thrust of Bayer, an affirmation of the company’s commitment to sustainable growth and long-term value creation. Given her wide-ranging global experience and transformational leadership competencies, she is well-placed to assume a critical role in Bayer’s next phase of growth and development.
