[Power K Women] 75% Female Executive Ratio... First Korean Leader of the "World's Top Women-Friendly Company"

Interview with Jina Lee, CEO of Bayer Korea
Thirty Years in Pharmaceuticals Across Germany, Switzerland, and Thailand
First Korean CEO Since Bayer's Entry into Korea in 1955

Jina Lee, CEO of Bayer Korea, is not addressed as “CEO” within the company. At Bayer Korea, employees attach “nim” (a Korean title of respect) to each other’s names instead of using job titles, and even the CEO is no exception. Titles are just the beginning. Unless a matter strictly requires final approval from the CEO, business decisions are concluded within “mission teams” composed of department heads. Performance reviews are conducted not annually, but every 90 days. Lee has been pondering a central question during her three years in leadership: How fast can an organization move when every member acts as an owner?

She has been answering that question through results. By establishing an Agile model called “DSO” (Dynamic Shared Ownership), the time required for decisions on introducing new drugs—which used to take over a year—has been reduced to six months. By successively bringing in essential new medicines for the super-aged society, the company has entered a phase of positive growth since last year. Numbers like a 75% ratio of female executives and ranking 26th in the “2026 Top 100 Companies to Work for in Korea” list are also parts of the answer she is pursuing. We met Korea’s first Korean CEO of this German-based healthcare company with a 71-year history in Korea, at Bayer Korea’s Yeouido office in Seoul, and discussed topics such as organizational culture, leadership, and the growth of women leaders.

Jina Lee, CEO of Bayer Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Bayer Korea

-How did you feel when you became the first Korean CEO in Bayer Korea’s nearly 70-year history?

▲Bayer, a German company well known for developing ‘Aspirin,’ had foreign nationals serving as CEOs since its entry into Korea in 1955. In 2023, I became the company’s first Korean CEO. I felt proud but also a significant sense of burden. The expectations were twofold: to create sustainable growth momentum and to successfully establish a new global operational model, introduced from 2024. Although I was initially apprehensive, my previous experiences served as a strong foundation.

-What accomplishment are you most proud of after three years in the role?

▲The most important goal when I started was to reinforce a sustainable foundation for growth and to introduce globally proven new drugs quickly to Korea. To address unmet medical needs in a super-aged society, we rapidly launched innovative treatments, such as a type 2 diabetes-related kidney disease drug and a high-dose macular degeneration therapy. The high-dose macular degeneration therapy can extend the interval between injections to up to six months, greatly reducing the burden for patients. I expect that the company will enter a full growth trajectory from this year.

-Have there been changes regarding organizational culture?

▲Bill Anderson, Global CEO of Bayer, established the DSO system in 2023, and I have localized it within the company. In this structure, a leader does not simply give orders and make decisions but instead sets direction, designs a foundation for collaboration, removes obstacles, and assists team growth as a coach. Bayer calls this the “VACC” (Visionary·Architect·Catalyst·Coach) model, which is our key leadership model. Decision-making is also horizontal. Department heads with shared business goals form “mission teams” that regularly discuss strategic direction and share key performance indicators (KPIs). Unless something absolutely requires CEO approval, decision-making happens within these teams. Whereas the previous organization was a vertical ladder, the mission teams are structured horizontally. Because authority and responsibility go hand in hand, we changed performance evaluations from annual to 90-day cycles to address potential trial and error.

-Has DSO’s pursuit of a horizontal culture clashed with the emphasis on hierarchy and seniority inherent in Korean organizational culture?

▲Korean organizational culture values seniority and experience and demonstrates strong cohesion when pursuing clear goals. DSO does not contradict these strengths—it seeks to leverage them more effectively. The key lies in rapid, expertise-based decision-making and eliminating silos across departments. Silos and bureaucracy not only slow us down but generate unnecessary opportunity costs. In the initial phase of change, I focused on establishing understanding through frequent communication, such as monthly town hall meetings and small group coffee chats, and on building successful case studies.

Jina Lee, CEO of Bayer Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Bayer Korea

-What is your own vision or ideal image of a leader?

▲Whereas in the past I considered about 10 qualities, now experience has distilled them to just two. The first is being a “visionary”: a leader must never lose sight of the overall flow, and provide clear feedback if the organization moves in a wrong direction—even in an autonomous model. In crises, prompt and decisive leadership matters, but in normal times, co-creating innovation is more important. Second, a leader should be an enabler of employee growth. There is a saying I keep close: “Bayer does not merely manage change, but manages employee growth for the sake of change.” Leaders must constantly ask why we are pursuing change and what the ultimate purpose is. I believe a good leader creates an environment where the company pays constant attention not only to its own growth but also matches pace with the development of each member.

-Why is the ratio of female executives as high as 75%?

▲When the number of female executives was very low, gender balance was a big concern. Once balance was achieved, the focus shifted to meritocracy. That’s why we now evaluate based not on gender, but on individual professionalism, capabilities, and contributions to the organization. Ultimately, gender balance should be managed in terms of fairness of opportunity, diversity of career paths, and genuine participation in decision-making.

-You were ranked 26th in the “2026 Top 100 Companies to Work for in Korea.” What is the driving force?

▲More than systems themselves, the key is organizational culture and environment. Bayer stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values. As of last year, women made up 44.2% of management positions group-wide. Our goal is gender balance across all global management positions, excluding boards of directors, by 2030. This effort led to our being named one of Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers for Women” last year. While many companies reduced flexible work in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we retained flexible schedules outside core hours and allow remote work two to three days per week. Parental leave is freely available to both men and women. Since three years ago, we have held “Development Week” to run education from resume writing to artificial intelligence (AI) literacy. We also combine our global talent development program, the “Talent Marketplace,” offering all employees, regardless of level or department, the right to participate in global projects and benefit from tailored learning opportunities.

Jina Lee, CEO of Bayer Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Bayer Korea

-What is your ultimate goal for Bayer Korea?

▲Bayer’s mission is “Health for all, Hunger for none.” This encompasses the idea that we must continuously offer innovative solutions to patients, consumers, and farmers across all sectors, including pharmaceuticals, crop science, and consumer health. We are particularly focused on Korea’s challenge of entering a super-aged society. Korea has an exceptionally strong health screening system, enabling longer and healthier lives—but that does not mean diseases are disappearing. In fields like oncology, ophthalmology, cardiovascular disease, women’s health, and immune disorders, traditional solutions have focused on symptom relief and numerical management. Emerging treatments will provide fundamental cures leveraging genes, cells, and other advanced approaches. Bayer Korea’s main goal is to collaborate closely with our global headquarters to quickly bring these innovative therapies to patients in Korea.

-What advice would you give to the next generation of women?

▲I participate every year in the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) Women’s Leadership Mentoring program, where young women often ask the same things: How do you seize opportunities, and what does it take to become a leader? I want to offer three pieces of advice. First, never be afraid to take on challenges. If you see even a 70% chance, go for it. Career growth doesn’t just go straight up like a ladder—it can go sideways or even spiral, and the learning comes from the journey itself. Second, raise your voice. Global companies value employees who speak up with ideas and clear messaging, rather than those who simply conform. Third, focus on building trust and relationships. Women employees and executives often do an excellent job, but sometimes become too self-focused on personal success. Previous generations had to push through “glass ceilings” without role models, so they often focused solely on personal achievement—but to become a leader, it’s critical to have people alongside you on your journey.

-Is there a book you would like to recommend to aspiring female leaders?

▲I recommend “Humanocracy” by Gary Hamel. The book’s message is that the core of managing any organization is people. It sees members not as tools that follow orders, but as agents who act with a sense of ownership. DSO’s introduction came with a recommendation to read this book, and most Bayer Korea leaders have done so. Without a change in leadership, organizations don’t change. As one chapter says, “Everyone is an Entrepreneur”—genuine ownership emerges when people see themselves as owners. I’m confident that women leaders can grow even further when they set aside self-centeredness and base trust on a people-first approach.

▶About Jina Lee, CEO of Bayer Korea

Jina Lee majored in pharmacy at university and has built approximately 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. After assignments abroad in Germany, Switzerland, Thailand, and Singapore, she joined Bayer Korea in 2013, where she led the cardiovascular business division. From 2020, she served as Head of Pharmaceutical Division and CEO at Bayer’s Thailand branch. In 2023, she was appointed as CEO and Head of the Pharmaceutical Division at Bayer Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.