Bayer US president announces retirement; successor named

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Philip Blake, senior Bayer representative and president of Bayer in the United States, on Tuesday announced his retirement from the leadership role, effective July 31.

Bayer Consumer Health NA President Patrick Lockwood-Taylor has been named as Blake’s successor and will take over on Aug. 1.

As senior Bayer representative and president of Bayer in the United States, Lockwood-Taylor will maintain many of the responsibilities of his current role as regional president of consumer health North America and member of the Consumer Health Executive Committee.

Blake’s career with Whippany-based Bayer spans nearly 40 years. Since 2012, he has been responsible for all U.S. activities of the worldwide Bayer Group. He previously served as president and chief executive officer of Bayer Inc. and head of Bayer HealthCare in Canada. Blake will remain on board as a consultant to the company through the end of the year.

“Leading the phenomenal team at Bayer U.S. has truly been the highlight of my career,” Blake said. “To have been a part of this company over the last four decades has been an incredible experience, and I am honored to have been entrusted with the mission of leading the company’s presence in its largest market globally.”

Over the course of his career with Bayer, Blake held leadership positions around the world focusing on global strategic product marketing, business development, clinical planning, product development and sales management. He obtained his degree at Bristol University and undertook further executive training at The Open University, INSEAD (Institut Européen d’Administration des Affaires) and Wharton Business School. Blake is also a Chartered Corporate Director, earning this designation in 2006 from the Directors College at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University.

“In nearly eight years at the helm of Bayer’s operations in the U.S., Phil has steadfastly navigated our way to success in some of this company’s most transformative and dynamic times. We thank Phil for his leadership and his commitment to our company’s purpose, ‘Science for a better life,’” said Bayer AG Chief Financial Officer Wolfgang Nickl, who is responsible for the North America region in the company’s board of management.

Lockwood-Taylor joined Bayer Consumer Health in August 2018 and is responsible for the division’s business in the U.S. and Canada. He is also is a member of the Bayer U.S. Country Leadership Team and executive sponsor of GROW, Bayer’s business resource group for advocating for women’s advancement.

He has spent more than 25 years in global leadership roles, including positions in operations management, sales, marketing, country management, and general management, with assignments in the United Kingdom, Africa, Switzerland, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States.

“I am deeply honored to have been appointed to this role and to build from the strong foundation Phil and the country leadership team have created,” Lockwood-Taylor said. “There is tremendous opportunity for growth for Bayer in America, as the leading life science company. I cannot speak highly enough of the exceptional leadership Phil has brought over the past eight years. He will be greatly missed.”

From 2016 to 2018, Lockwood-Taylor was president and CEO of The Oneida Group Inc. Prior, he spent more than 20 years with Procter & Gamble in various roles, including brand franchise and general management leadership positions. He served as vice president of personal health care North America and global digestive wellness, where he drove significant strategic interventions to address a rapidly evolving market. His leadership resulted in significant growth in both sales and profit over a five-year period.