Latest news with #Guth
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Not just ‘slash and burn'—the real reason this major pharmaceutical company ousted 40% of its middle managers
Good morning! As companies look to cut costs, many CEOs are looking to trim bloat at the middle-manager level. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in March that he plans to flatten the company's corporate hierarchy by eliminating middle managers and giving more power back to individual contributors. And he's not alone in this thinking. In a bid to turn the company around, struggling German pharmaceutical giant Bayer made a drastic decision last year: doing away with middle managers and 99% of the company's 1,362-page corporate handbook. 'This wasn't an effort to just slash and burn,' said Sebastian Guth, chief operating officer at Bayer Pharmaceuticals at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit on Monday. 'Eighteen months ago, we embarked on a very radical transformation and as part of that I eliminated, here in the United States, for example, 40% of all middle managers, which was—which is—hard, but it was necessary to see our organization transform into a world that is significantly more agile and that empowers teams to make decisions.' And he says the decision has led to significant growth for the company, with first quarter results showing 23% growth across North America. Not everyone, he noted, was eliminated just because they were a middle manager. In fact, Guth said that some roles were transitioned from a managerial one to that of an individual contributor. The shift helped them 'realize that part of what they did previously wasn't actually adding as much value as they wanted to.' That said, not all leaders believe that eliminating middle management is the right solution. For example, Edith Cooper, cofounder of professional training and coaching firm Medley, said during the same discussion that the solution isn't about seeing how many roles you can eliminate. Instead, executives should seek out bottlenecks across the organization and target their attentions there. 'If you are looking to create more impact and productivity from your No. 1 asset, for people, you need to do the work,' said Cooper. 'Really look critically at what needs to happen to unlock the potential of your people. Then, if there are places in that flow that become bottlenecks, you should do the work to understand how you eliminate [them].' Even Guth admitted such an extensive overhaul should be done strategically. Bayer invested significantly in upskilling the managers who remained and eliminated traditional management targets in budgets, he said, which was a 'very important unlock.' And most important, he said, is to let teams themselves have some say in the changes so they're not only streaming down from on high. 'We allow teams to flow resources to where they saw the biggest impact, and most importantly, we allow teams to actually decide, because we have thousands of colleagues around the world that have amazing insight and knowledge,' said Guth. 'Rather than just waiting for others to decide on their behalf, we lean into what they experience and see in the day to day.' Brit This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bayer US head says FDA chief reassured pharma executives of timely reviews
By Bhanvi Satija and Michael Erman NEW YORK (Reuters) -Bayer Pharmaceuticals' chief operating officer said the head of the top U.S. drug regulator recently reassured industry executives that the Food and Drug Administration would meet its targets for reviews despite recent job cuts and a restructuring. "We're looking at an FDA and scientific review staff that is stable, engaged and meeting its deadlines," Sebastian Guth, who oversees Bayer's U.S. operations, said in an interview. Guth said that after a recent meeting between FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and industry executives, he was confident that the leadership wanted to maintain the agency's standards. Makary said last month the FDA will meet its targets for completing reviews of new drugs despite mass firings under the Trump administration. Reuters had reported in early April that firings at the FDA included employees critical to reviewing new medicines. "I heard an FDA commissioner who notes and acknowledged that the industry requires a stable and predictable regulatory environment," said Guth, adding that Makary underlined his intent to use technology to support FDA's work. The FDA is expected to decide whether to expand approval for Bayer's kidney disease drug Kerendia to patients with heart disease this year. Guth said Bayer's interactions with the FDA, predominantly its Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, had followed tight protocol and the agency had met its deadlines for experimental drugs under review. "We've seen the FDA responding within the timelines that are to be expected," he said. Bayer's experimental drug, elinzanetant, for treating menopause symptoms, is also under review. Guth said Bayer's first-quarter sales growth in the U.S., a key market, exceeded the 23% rise for North America reported earlier this week. Bayer does not break out sales by country. The U.S. accounted for a "significant chunk" of its sales of new prostate cancer drug Nubeqa and kidney treatment Kerendia, he said. On Tuesday, the company reported a combined 680 million euros ($760.51 million) in revenues from both drugs. ($1 = 0.8941 euros) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Evansville woman sentenced for burglary of Posey County business
HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) – An Evansville woman has been sentenced after being taking a plea agreement of a burglary on a Posey County business. The Posey County Prosecutor's Office says 37-year-old Jessica Guth was sentenced to 42 months (3 1/2 years) after pleading guilty to multiple charges stemming from breaking and entering Whackerz, a golf simulation business in Wadesville, on January 9. Officials state Guth admitted to stealing a computer and golf clubs from the business. Evansville murder suspect found guilty According to court records, arriving deputies saw broken glass, and surveillance footage showed a female breaking a window to gain access. The footage also revealed the woman, later identified as Guth, was driving a black Toyota Solara. According to an affidavit, on January 10, a Posey County deputy conducted a traffic stop on the Toyota where the computer was recovered. Deputies also recovered the stolen golf clubs from a nearby residence. Officials state Guth later admitted to the crime when questioned about the items. 'I'm grateful Ms. Guth has been held accountable for her criminal behavior,' said Posey County Prosecutor Thomas Clowers. 'She made the decision to break in and steal from a Posey County business, and she's going to serve a prison sentence because of her actions. Of course, this would not have been possible without the investigative efforts of the Posey County Sheriff's Office. Within a short period of time after the burglary, law enforcement was able to identify and apprehend Ms. Guth, as well as recover the stolen property.' Guth will serve her sentence at the Indiana Department of Correction. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
At the Met, an unsettling new vision of ‘Salome' unfolds like a dream
Describing the new Metropolitan Opera production of 'Salome' feels a bit like recounting the details of a dream — the lines start to blur, the colors begin to drain, the details dissolve in the telling. This, it seems, is by design. German director Claus Guth made his Met debut on Tuesday with a gripping vision of Richard Strauss's 1905 thriller that expands beyond the bounds of its single act into a surreal study of one of opera's most unhinged antiheroines. Strauss's built his 'Salome' upon a libretto by Hedwig Lachmann, itself a German translation of Oscar Wilde's scandalous 1893 play of the same name, which first plumbed the dark psychological potential of the biblical tale — like the lecherous gaze of Salome's stepfather King Herod, the erotic power of her 'Dance of the Seven Veils,' or her own lurid fascination with the body of the imprisoned Jochanaan (most notably his head). Guth's version feels fully situated in these subconscious levels. The setting is shifted from the first century A.D. to the waning years of the Victorian era — at times the monochromatic palace designed by Etienne Pluss (also making his Met debut) could be a model of Wilde's own dark imagination. This is especially so when the entire palace elevates to reveal a spindly staircase to the cavernous cistern below, where Jochanaan wastes away in chains. Guth's black-and-white treatment might suggest a minimalist approach, but the creative team maximizes possibilities without excess conceptual clutter. This includes Ursula Kudrna's costumes — like the animal masked revelers engaged in a pursuit out of 'Eyes Wide Shut'; Olaf Freese's lighting design, which destabilized the set with its shifting shadows; and Roland Horvath's projections, which conjured a sinister fizz of white dust rising from the palace floor — an insistent reminder of the cruelty below. But above the crisp conceptualization and clean execution of Guth's vision, 'Salome' soars thanks to a stellar cast of singers. Soprano Elza van den Heever debuted her Salome in Lydia Steier's 2022 production for Paris Opera, and her grip on the character was tight enough to leave marks. She brought the perfect balance of winsome innocence and iridescent rage to her performance, which highlighted the heat and heft of her instrument, but also her keen dramatic sensibilities. In addition to van den Heever, there are six other Salomes — ghostly iterations of the princess as she matures. They hang around the palace, lurk around the dungeon, and, one by one, perform a 'Dance of the Seven Veils' that sheds garish light on her unstable state. Baritone Peter Mattei, who recently sung Starbuck in the Met's 'Moby Dick,' was a magnificent Jochanaan. He was powerful enough bellowing from the offstage depths of the cistern, but was most moving in the flesh — his big voice in defiance of the pale, gaunt body coiled in the corner. Tenor Gerhard Siegel offered a dynamic and devilish Herod, his voice well-suited to the king's swings between power and impotence — especially as he tries to win his stepdaughter's affections ('Salome komm trink Wein mit mir'). Mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung brought sharp intensity to her crimson-gowned Herodias. And tenor Piotr Buszewski sung a sympathetic Narraboth, whose departure in Guth's telling is a bit less self-imposed. The night's other big star was Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who ably steered the nonstop ride through Strauss's whirlwind score, including its cache of sound effects (like the rising winds in the strings, or those ugly pinched notes on double bass that anticipate Jochanaan's beheading). And he ensured that Strauss's orchestral palette burst with all of the colors forgone onstage by Guth — the music bristles with xylophone, harmonium, castanets and a lowing heckelphone (an oboe of sorts first deployed in 'Salome'). While Guth's 'Salome' is pulled between extremes — the unrelenting black of the palace and the chalk-white walls of the prison, for instance — the magic of this production is the way it illuminates the gray area in between, the unresolved traumas and unanswered questions. Guth sheds just enough light on the opera for us to see it anew, but smartly, not enough to wake us from the dream. 'Salome' runs at the Metropolitan Opera through May 24,
New York Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Review: The Met Opera's New ‘Salome' Fractures Its Princess
The first sound in the Metropolitan Opera's new production of 'Salome' isn't the wriggle of clarinet that begins Strauss's score. It's the tinkle of a music box, while a little girl plays with a doll at the lip of the stage. Projected on the curtain behind her is a giant image of herself, slowly twirling. She suddenly gets angry at the toy and begins beating it against the ground. Even before the orchestra squirms in, Claus Guth's grimly effective staging has made clear its preoccupations: childhood, dancing, violence. Guth, one of Europe's busiest directors and making his Met debut with this production, is also fascinated by multiple versions of the self. Starring the soprano Elza van den Heever — simultaneously innocent and hardened, sounding silvery yet secure — this 'Salome,' which opened on Tuesday, gives its title character not one youthful double, but six. The group of Salomes, progressing in age from perhaps a kindergartner to the 16-year-old played by van den Heever, is dressed in matching dark frocks, giving hints of 'The Shining' and Diane Arbus photographs. Guth, placing the action in a dour black mansion around the turn of the 20th century, has shifted from ancient to modern times Strauss's 100-minute, one-act adaptation of Oscar Wilde's scandalous play. 'Salome' depicts, in decadent music inspired by the flowery language of the Symbolists, the biblical princess who was drawn to and rejected by John the Baptist and who demanded that he be decapitated by her depraved stepfather, King Herod. The fin-de-siècle setting adds to all this overripeness a touch of early psychoanalysis, an excavation of Salome's troubled past. The Dance of the Seven Veils, historically often a Gypsy Rose Lee-style striptease, is here a solemn parade of the seven Salomes, overseen by van den Heever and showing her years of abuse by Herod. This is a tad heavy-handed, but it doesn't feel made up out of nowhere; Herod's lust for Salome is explicit in the libretto, even if it's not clear he's acted on it. Guth's production — the Met's first new 'Salome' since 2004, when Jürgen Flimm, in the midst of the Iraq War, set the opera in the contemporary Middle East — feels very much of our time, an era obsessed with identifying and processing trauma. While the stark set (by Etienne Pluss), costumes (Ursula Kudrna) and lighting (Olaf Freese) don't evoke the jeweled colors of the score, they have a severity that might well have pleased Strauss, who said he wanted the Dance of the Seven Veils to be 'as serious and measured as possible.' Van den Heever is serious and measured, too. As in Strauss's 'Die Frau Ohne Schatten' at the Met earlier this season, her high register can both softly float and powerfully soar. If she lacks some force lower down, making the conversational passages early in the opera a bit muted, she paces herself smartly, leaving ample stamina and focus for Salome's great final monologue to be affectingly direct and sincere. Her Salome has a habit of mimicry. When she copies the gestures that Jochanaan — the opera's John the Baptist — makes while praying, we realize queasily that her molesting of the servant Narraboth earlier must have been an echo of the way she herself has been touched. It's almost always a stretch for a star of 'Salome' to be persuasive as a 16-year-old, but the presence of the doubles actually makes van den Heever, who is in her mid-40s, seem younger — an organic outgrowth of real children — than she might have if she were on her own. The baritone Peter Mattei is a fierce and roaring Jochanaan, held captive in an airy basement space painted the same powdery white that he is. The frenzied yet articulate tenor Gerhard Siegel, a veteran Herod, oozes unctuous entitlement. As Herodias, his wife and Salome's mother, the mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung might overdo boozy, chain-smoking cynicism, but she adds a memorable edge of anxiety. Guth's eerie spectacle is heightened by the simmering panache of the Met Orchestra's performance under its music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. A trick of conducting 'Salome' is to make an ensemble of over 100 play, for much of the score, with catlike grace, and Nézet-Séguin keeps the music simmering between grand explosions. The intensity is unremitting, but so is the transparency of the complex textures; even pianissimo flute trills register as Salome sings near the end that Jochanaan's body is like 'a garden full of doves.' Not everything about the production is successful. The projections that are occasionally thrown on the stern set to show its walls shaking or disintegrating look silly. Animal head masks, meant to be sinister, come off as halfhearted gestures toward 'Eyes Wide Shut'-esque eroticism. But Guth's work is largely thoughtful and expressive. Much of Salome's final outpouring, ostensibly delivered to Jochanaan's head, is instead sung as private musings. Her younger doubles, who have previously been scattered and isolated, now surround her, their hands reaching out to touch her. The reintegration of a fractured self, the ultimate aim of therapy, has been achieved. Yet Guth doesn't depict the ending as a triumphant realization of Salome's fantasies of revenge. Instead, with Herod screaming at his soldiers to kill her, she merely walks upstage into a dense mist. (The loud hiss of the smoke machine makes an unfortunate counterpoint to Strauss's climactic music.) The final sight is Herodias reaching toward Salome, as the doubles did. ('Let me save you'? 'Take me with you'?) But Salome, whether going toward literal death or something more symbolic, is going on her own. A few minutes before, she claimed to have arrived at an understanding of the secret of love and death; maybe that secret is that she will always be alone, scarred by what she's endured. Well over a century after its premiere, 'Salome' has lost its onetime ability to shock. At its best, perhaps, it can sadden. It certainly does at the Met, in Guth's gloomy staging and van den Heever's sober, committed performance.
