Publications
Publications
- April 2025
- HBS Case Collection
Radical Transformation at Bayer: Dynamic Shared Ownership
By: Boris Groysberg and Gamze Yucaoglu
Abstract
In 2023, Bill Anderson became CEO of Bayer AG, a 160-year-old life sciences giant looking to strengthen its pharma pipeline, manage debt, and cut through bureaucracy. His bold response: Dynamic Shared Ownership (DSO), a radical model replacing traditional hierarchies with self-organizing teams. By 2025, Bayer was on track to cut €2 billion in costs, but questions remained—could fewer bosses truly drive innovation, or was this an unsustainable gamble? As Amazon, Citibank, and Dell explored similar shifts, Bayer found itself at the center of a corporate management revolution. Would DSO redefine leadership, or prove a cautionary tale?
Keywords
Human Resources; Business Strategy; Alignment; Innovation and Management; Organizational Structure; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry
Citation
Groysberg, Boris, and Gamze Yucaoglu. "Radical Transformation at Bayer: Dynamic Shared Ownership." Harvard Business School Case 425-061, April 2025.