About Bayer Foundation

Who We Are

As the corporate foundation of Bayer, we help accelerate transformative innovations in health and agriculture for the benefit of society.

We harness the power of transformative innovations in Science and Social Innovation to build effective and resilient local ecosystems in health and food security. Key target groups for our work are social impact organizations and entrepreneurs as well as scientists and students. Our social innovation program drives impact in low- and middle income countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Our science programs are designed for global outreach.

Our mission is to advance

Science and Social Innovation

for Health for All and

Hunger for None.

What We Do

Bayer Foundation supports aspiring scientists, social entrepreneurs and impact organizations who work towards breakthrough innovations at the intersection of health, food security and environment.

How we work

We advance our impact through three catalytic levers:

1. Innovators and Entrepreneurs in the focus: Scientists and entrepreneurs – especially women – are important target groups for us. They are the key drivers of change to make local communities and national health & food systems more resilient.

2. Catalytic Funding: We kick-start, de-risk innovations and unlock the full spectrum of capital, also with innovative, philanthropic financing approaches

3. Coalitions, Partnerships and Networks: We team up and bringing together partners across sectors and industries – science, NGOs, governments, social investors – to amplify impact and accelerate change.

Our Team

Foundation Leadership:

Chitkala Kalidas

Executive Director Bayer Foundation, Senior Vice President Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) at Bayer AG

Rodrigo Santos

Executive Director Bayer Foundation - Social Innovation Program, Board of Management Bayer AG and President of Crop Science Division

Stefan Oelrich

Executive Director Bayer Foundation - Science Program, Board of Management Bayer AG and President of Pharmaceuticals

Kyra Constanze Pauly

Managing Director at Bayer Foundation, Vice President Bayer AG

Foundation team:

Simone Jonek

Foundation Office & Programs

Rawan Alkurdi

Foundation Office & Program Support

Dr. Peng Zhong

Director Social Innovation

Stefan Wilhelm

Associate Director Social Innovation

Jana op den Winkel

Program Manager Social Innovation and Communications Manager

Dr. Tatjana Gust

Associate Director of Science Programs

Julie Lüttgen

Program Manager Science & Education

Hedda Weber

Science & Education Working Student

Gülsevim Ugurel

Science & Education Intern

Inken Boerger

Social Innovation Working Student

Khanh My Huynh

Communications Intern

Foundation Strategic Advisors:

Dr. Michael Metzlaff

Strategic Advisor Science

Dr. Michael Schwall

Strategic Advisor Social Innovation

Foundation Governance:

Our Science Impact programs are run by the Bayer Science and Education Foundation.
Our Social Innovation programs are run by the Bayer Cares Foundation.
Both Foundations are governed by the respective Board of Trustees, which is tasked to support with regards to strategic, content and funding decisions.

Board of Trustees for Science & Education Foundation

Board of Trustees for Science Impact

Our Board of Trustees for Science Impact support the Foundation's Executive Directors with regards to strategic, content and funding decisions.

Prof. Edith Heard (View CV)

Prof. Dr. Edith Heard is the Chairwoman of the Bayer Foundation Board of Trustees for the Science Program and Director General of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

Dr. Monika Lessl

Dr. Monika Lessl is the former Executive Director of the Bayer Foundation, former SVP Bayer AG, and Non-Executive Board Member of Gubra A/S and Marienhaus GmbH.

Dr. Mike Graham

Dr. Mike Graham is Head of Research & Development (R&D) for Crop Science at Bayer AG.

Dr. Christian Rommel (View CV)

Dr. Christian Rommel is Global Head of Research & Development (R&D), Pharmaceuticals. He also serves as a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team.

Board of Trustees for Bayer Cares Foundation

Board of Trustees for Social Innovation

Our Board of Trustees for Social Innovation support the Foundation's Executive Directors with regards to strategic, content and funding decisions.

Prof. Dr. André Habisch

Prof. Dr. André Habisch is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bayer Cares Foundation. He also teaches Business Ethics and Corporate Citizenship at Ingolstadt School of Management (WFI) and is the Associate Research Director of the Academy of Business in Society (ABIS). 

Dr. Monika Lessl

Dr. Monika Lessl is the former Executive Director of the Bayer Foundation, former SVP Bayer AG, and Non-Executive Board Member of Gubra A/S and Marienhaus GmbH.

Dr. Michael Preuss (View CV)

Michael Preuss is Head of Communications at Bayer AG. 

Matthias Berninger (View CV)

Matthias Berninger is EVP, Head of Public Affairs, Sustainability & Safety at Bayer AG. 

Members of the Foundation’s Science Council

Members of the Foundation’s Science Council

Members of the Science Council select the winners of the Foundation's science awards. They also provide advice to shape the Foundation's programs, ensuring they reflect advancements in the life sciences.