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The basics:

• Nelson Ambrogio named president of Bayer US Pharmaceuticals, effective May 1
• Will oversee prostate cancer, cardiovascular, women’s health brands
• Currently leads Bayer’s global radiology business

Bayer announced Nelson Ambrogio will take on the role of president of Bayer U.S. Pharmaceuticals, effective May 1. 

Currently president of Bayer’s global radiology business, Ambrogio will now be responsible for commercial pharmaceutical operations in the U.S., the company said in the March 31 announcement. 

Headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany, Bayer has its U.S. base in Whippany. 

As part of his new position, Ambrogio will oversee the life sciences giant’s growth brands in prostate cancer, cardiovascular care and women’s health care. He steps into the role as Bayer “prepares its future portfolio in secondary stroke prevention,” Bayer noted.  

Ambrogio will assume these responsibilities from Sebastian Guth, chief operating officer of Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Division. He will report directly to Guth and joins the company’s Worldwide Markets Leadership Team. 

Guth will continue to oversee the growth of all global markets in his role as COO of Bayer Pharmaceuticals. He will also remain president of the Bayer Group in the U.S. at the company’s Whippany base. 

Longtime leader 

A longtime Bayer executive, Ambrogio joined the company in 2006 with its takeover of Schering AG, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before that, he had been with Schering since 1998. 

During his tenure with Bayer, Ambrogio has held several global leadership positions. He was promoted to president of radiology in April 2024. 

“Nelson Ambrogio is an exceptional business and people leader who delivered strong growth in our global Radiology business over the past two years,” Guth said in a statement. 

He added that Ambrogio “has a deep understanding of our U.S. pharmaceuticals business, having previously led the growth and success of our oncology and women’s healthcare businesses while serving on our U.S. Pharmaceuticals Leadership Team.” 

‘Moment of reflection’ 

Guth was named president of Bayer U.S. in the company’s 2023 leadership change-up. At the time, he was promoted from his position as president of Pharmaceuticals Americas. 

Like Ambrogio, Guth also is a longtime Bayer executive who joined the company following the Schering takeover, according to his LinkedIn profile. He started with that firm in 2001. 

In a LinkedIn post, the NJBIZ Health Care Power List honoree congratulated his “long-time colleague” on “a great career moment.” 

Guth also noted the changes were “a moment of reflection for me.” 

“While I will continue to live in New Jersey and remain close to our U.S. business, I am stepping away from the day-to-day leadership of U.S. Pharmaceuticals. Gratitude is the word that best describes how I am feeling.” 

Looking ahead 

Ambrogio added he was honored to take on the new position. 

“Throughout my time at Bayer, I’ve been privileged to work alongside exceptional colleagues across the globe who are deeply committed to serving our customers and patients and supporting Bayer’s mission,” he said. “I look forward to joining our U.S. pharmaceuticals team and building upon Bayer’s success.” 

At the company’s Pharma Media Day 2026 on April 1 in Berlin, Stefan Oelrich, president of the global pharmaceuticals division, highlighted “a projected growth trajectory towards 2030.” 

“Thanks to our strongest ever Pharma portfolio, our multimodal pipeline, and an increasingly AI-enabled operating model, we are on track to return to mid-single-digit growth from 2027 onwards, and to expand our margin from 2028 towards 30 percent by 2030,” Oelrich said.